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Marijuana and cocaine effect expectancies and drug use patterns
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|August 1, 1991
Summary
This study developed questionnaires to measure college students' expectations about marijuana and cocaine effects. These drug effect expectancies helped differentiate between nonusers and varying levels of drug use.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
- Substance Use Studies
Background:
- Understanding drug effect expectancies is crucial for substance use prevention and intervention.
- Previous research has identified various expectancies associated with different substances.
- Developing reliable measures for these expectancies is essential for accurate assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (MEEQ) and the Cocaine Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (CEEQ).
- To identify the primary dimensions of expectancies associated with marijuana and cocaine use among college students.
- To examine whether these expectancies can differentiate between patterns of nonuse and varying degrees of use for these substances.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of self-reports from 704 college students.
- Exploratory and confirmatory principal components analysis to identify underlying expectancy factors.
- Development of the MEEQ and CEEQ based on identified factors.
Main Results:
- Six key marijuana expectancies emerged: cognitive/behavioral impairment, relaxation/tension reduction, social/sexual facilitation, perceptual/cognitive enhancement, global negative effects, and craving/physical effects (explaining 34.6% of variance).
- Five key cocaine expectancies emerged: global positive effects, global negative effects, generalized arousal, anxiety, and relaxation/tension reduction (explaining 32.5% of variance).
- Drug effect expectancies significantly distinguished between nonusers and individuals with varying levels of marijuana and cocaine use.
Conclusions:
- The MEEQ and CEEQ are reliable instruments for measuring marijuana and cocaine effect expectancies in college populations.
- Identified expectancies provide insight into the psychological factors influencing substance use decisions.
- These validated questionnaires can be valuable tools for research and clinical interventions targeting substance use.