Effects of the bogus-pipeline on enhancing validity of self-reported adolescent drug use measures

This study examined effects of a bogus objective measure (bogus-pipeline) on self-reports of experimentation, frequency, intentions, beliefs, and attitudes related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. One hundred ninety-one adolescents (means age = 11.74 years) were assigned randomly to one of three conditions: a bogus-pipeline with saliva collection, a bogus-pipeline only, or a questionnaire only control. A significantly greater percentage of participants in the questionnaire only condition (28%) reported having experimented with alcohol, compared to those in the bogus-pipeline only condition (22%), and the bogus-pipeline with saliva condition (21%). No differences were found across conditions for subject experimentation with other drugs, frequency of drug use, intentions to use drugs, and beliefs and attitudes related to drug use (p greater than .05). The discrepancy among studies suggesting a validity enhancing effect due to bogus-pipeline procedures and those indicating no effect may be accounted for by variables including age, experimental setting, population under study, and drug types. The broad, unquestioned application of the bogus-pipeline in tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use prevention programs, or epidemiological studies of drug use, cannot be recommended at present.