Social Self-Control and Drug Use in Youth
Author Information
Author(s): Pokhrel Pallav, Sussman Steve, Rohrbach Louise Ann, Sun Ping
Primary Institution: University of Southern California
Hypothesis
Youths low in social self-control would be more likely to use drugs one year later.
Conclusion
The study found that social self-control and drug use have a reciprocal relationship, where low self-control leads to increased drug use, which further decreases self-control.
Supporting Evidence
- Social self-control was found to predict past 30-day alcohol use, marijuana use, and problem drug use.
- The relationship between social self-control and drug use was significant for continuation high school students only.
- Higher problem drug use at baseline was significantly associated with lower social self-control at follow-up for continuation high school students.
Takeaway
Kids who have trouble controlling themselves are more likely to use drugs, and using drugs can make it even harder for them to control themselves.
Methodology
The study surveyed 2081 adolescents from regular and continuation high schools in Los Angeles at two time points, approximately one year apart.
Potential Biases
Some selection bias might have been introduced due to convenience sampling and non-participation of some students.
Limitations
The study lacked direct behavioral measures and multiple psychometric evaluations of the social self-control measure.
Participant Demographics
Participants included adolescents from regular and continuation high schools, with a mean age of 14.8 for regular high school students and 16.8 for continuation high school students.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 0.67-0.92
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website