title: Effects of gender and motivations on perceptions of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the impact on college students' perceptions of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) of motivation for use and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were college students (N=695) from 2 universities in different regions of the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants read a vignette describing a college student who used a prescription stimulant for a nonmedical purpose and rated their perception of that individual using a semantic differential. A 2 (participant gender) by 2 (gender of the individual described in the vignette) by 3 (motive for use: get high, study, lose weight) design was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The male who used a stimulant to study was rated significantly less negatively than if he used the stimulant to get high. NMUPS as a study aid was viewed the least negatively overall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that gender does not, whereas motivation for use does, impact students' perceptions of NMUPS.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Tennessee Knoxville , Knoxville , Tennessee.
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lookatch
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010465:Perception; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants
keywords: gender; motivations; perceptions; prescription stimulants