Influencing inhalant intentions by changing socio-personal expectations
Jason T Siegel1, Eusebio M Alvaro, William D Crano
1Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University, 123 East 8th Street, Claremont, CA 91711, USA. Jason.siegel@cgu.edu
Summary
This study shows that altering adolescents' Socio-Personal Expectations (SPEs) can reduce inhalant use. Focusing on social harms, not just physical ones, influences adolescent decision-making regarding drug use.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Social Psychology
- Substance Use Prevention
Background:
- Inhalant use initiation is a significant concern among adolescents.
- Socio-Personal Expectations (SPEs) link behaviors to social outcomes and may influence substance use.
- Existing prevention strategies often focus on physical harms, potentially overlooking social motivators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the malleability of Socio-Personal Expectations (SPEs) in adolescents.
- To determine if SPEs predict future inhalant use.
- To examine how messages about physical versus social harms of inhalant use affect adolescent decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Randomly assigned 893 young adolescents to view an anti-inhalant message focusing on physical or social harms within an anti-bullying video.
- Utilized analysis of variance to assess SPE malleability.
- Employed multiple regression analysis to evaluate SPEs' predictive validity for inhalant use.
Main Results:
- Socio-Personal Expectations (SPEs) were found to be malleable (p < .001).
- SPEs significantly predicted future inhalant use, accounting for 26% of the variance in intentions.
- Exposure to social harm messages, compared to physical harm messages, altered the variables predicting future inhalant intentions.
Conclusions:
- Altering Socio-Personal Expectations (SPEs) is a viable strategy for reducing adolescent inhalant initiation.
- SPEs are a significant predictor of adolescent inhalant use, independent of other factors.
- Prevention messages emphasizing social consequences may be more effective than those focusing solely on physical dangers for certain adolescent subgroups.
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