Related Experiment Videos
Time perspective and early-onset substance use: a model based on stress-coping theory
T A Wills1, J M Sandy, A M Yaeger
1Health Psychology Training Program, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. wills@aecom.yu.edu
Summary
Young students with a present-oriented time perspective showed increased early-onset substance use. Future orientation was linked to lower substance use, with coping behaviors mediating these effects.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Early-onset substance use is a significant public health concern.
- Time perspective, a cognitive-emotional framework for time, may influence adolescent risk behaviors.
- Understanding mediating factors is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between time perspective and early-onset substance use (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) in elementary school students.
- To investigate the mediating roles of behavioral and anger coping in this relationship.
- To identify proximal risk factors associated with substance use.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 454 elementary school students (mean age 11.8 years) participated.
- An adapted Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory was used.
- Structural modeling analysis was employed to test indirect effects.
Main Results:
- Future orientation was inversely related to substance use.
- Present orientation was positively related to substance use.
- These associations were mediated by behavioral and anger coping strategies.
Conclusions:
- Time perspective influences early substance use indirectly through coping mechanisms.
- Negative affect, peer substance use, and resistance efficacy are proximal risk factors.
- Findings have implications for understanding self-control and executive functions in relation to substance use.