Sensation Seeking and Adolescent Drug Use: The Mediating Role of Association With Deviant Peers and Pro-Drug Discussions

Abstract

In this study, I examined direct and indirect influences of sensation seeking, a personality trait, on adolescent drug use. I hypothesized that some or even most of the contribution of sensation seeking to drug use by adolescents is mediated through association with deviant peers and communication with peers that is favorable toward drug use. I examined the role of additional risk or protective factors in facilitating or impeding association with deviant peers, pro-drug communication, and marijuana use as well. The results of analyzing nationally representative cross-sectional data from the evaluation of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign support the study's hypotheses and suggest that different factors may protect high sensation-seeking adolescents from using drugs or engaging in activities (e.g., association with deviant peers) that may increase their risk for drug use. I discuss the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of these findings to the design of health communication interventions.

Childhood predictors of adolescent marijuana use: Early sensation-seeking, deviant peer affiliation, and social images

“…Deviant peer affiliation predicted subsequent marijuana use, and the growth, but not the level, of social images predicted subsequent marijuana use. As predicted, a mediated pathway from early sensation seeking to later marijuana use through affiliation with deviant peers was confirmed (Donohew, Hoyle, et al, 1999;Yanovitzky, 2005). However, contrary to our hypothesis, social images did not mediate the influence of sensation seeking.…”

“…Previous studies have established that sensation seeking, deviant peer affiliation, and positive evaluation of substances are risk factors for marijuana use, and also that affiliating with deviant peers may mediate effects of sensation seeking (Yanovitzky, 2005;Zuckerman, 1994). The present study advanced the understanding of these processes.…”

Sensation Seeking and Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: Examining Multiple Pathways in Cross-Sectional Data

“…Kandel and Jessor [19] suggest that substance use progression may commence from a more complex development sequence of activities including other key behaviors and experiences such as joining a gang, dropping out of school, etc. Yanovitzky [20] demonstrated that sensation seeking, some protective factors (such as religiosity, positive family relationship, school performance) and risk factors (such as unsupervised time with peers, frequency of school absences) contributed to association with deviant peers, which led to pro-drug discussions, and finally, to a greater intention to use drugs. Multiple pathways (both direct and indirect) explain the association between personality factors and risk behaviors.…”

“…High sensation seekers also tend to underestimate the risk associated with health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, drug use, and alcohol consumption, and thereby engage in it more as compared to their low sensation seeking counterparts [22]. High sensation seekers also tend to have friends who engage in similar risk behaviors [20].…”

“…Furthermore, sensation seeking has also been associated with socialization with peers who engage in similar behaviors [20]. Using a social network analysis, Ennett et al [31] concluded that adolescents closer in proximity to peers who are substance users themselves had a higher propensity of using substances including cigarettes.…”