Structure of problem behavior in adolescence and young adulthood.

Abstract

Earlier bivariate findings suggested that diverse problem behaviors, including problem drinking, illicit drug use, delinquent-type behavior, and precocious sexual intercourse, may comprise a single behavioral syndrome in samples of normal adolescents. A multivariate test of this possible syndrome was carried out through a series of maximum likelihood factor analyses based on self-report data from several samples of adolescents and youth. Analyses were performed by sex on four waves of panel data from a high school cohort and a college-age cohort, using their adolescent/collegeage data as well as their data from young adulthood, and on multiple random subsamples of adolescents who participated in the 1978 National Study of Adolescent Drinking (Rachal et al., 1980). Results of the analyses consistently snowed that one common factor accounts for the correlations among the different problem behaviors. The findings lend support to the notion of a syndrome of problem behavior in both adolescence and young adulthood.' Alcohol use, cigarette smoking, marijuana use, and the use of other illicit drugs have been shown to be correlated among adolescents; that is, teenagers who are heavily involved with one of these drugs tend to be involved with others as well (

Historical Change in the Link between Adolescent Deviance Proneness and Marijuana Use, 1979–2004

“…First order factors were selected from factor analytic studies examining the personality and behavioral characteristics underlying the co-occurrence of antisocial and substance use disorders in adolescence and adulthood (Donovan & Jessor, 1985;Krueger et al, 2002;McGee & Newcomb, 1992). The criminal behavior factor score was derived from a preliminary confirmatory factor analyses of eight criminal behavior items.…”

“…This study extends prior historical research by using a factor-analytic model of the theoretically and empirically-grounded construct of deviance proneness as a predictor of adolescent marijuana use. Our latent construct of deviance proneness was informed by not only earlier notions of problem behavior theory (Donovan & Jessor, 1985;McGee & Newcomb, 1992), but more contemporary understanding of the "externalizing spectrum" (Krueger et al, 2002). Further, unlike prior historical studies, this study's model of deviance proneness combined measures of conduct problems (i.e.…”

“…The wisdom of the risk-focused prevention approach is built upon a wealth of research establishing that adolescents who are most prone to use drugs regularly are also more deviance prone, as characterized by greater proclivities to defy social norms, participate in risky behaviors and show externalizing behavior problems (Donovan & Jessor, 1985;Krueger et al, 2002). Prior research affirms that adolescent drug use and externalizing behavior problems have common personality antecedents (Brook, Whiteman, Balka, Win, & Gursen, 1998;Krueger, 1999), often co-occur (Derzon & Lipsey, 1999), and share common functional and genetic variance (Krueger et al, 2002;McGee & Newcomb, 1992).…”

Substance use and risky sexual behavior for exposure to HIV: Issues in methodology, interpretation, and prevention.

“…Research findings are consistent with a number of explanations --causal, correlational, cultural, and coincidental (see Leigh, 1990a for discussion). These various explanations emphasize very different factors, from pharmacological disinhibition (see Crowe & George, 1989;Room & Collins, 1983), to cognitive decrements (Pernanen, 1976;Steele & Southwick, 1985), risk-taking or sensation-seeking personality tendencies (Adlaf & Smart, 1983;Zuckerman, 1979), "problem behavior syndrome" (Donovan & Jessor, 1985;Osgood, Johnston, O'Malley & Bachman, 1988), to expectations about the effects of alcohol (see Wilson, 1978), the use of intoxication as an excuse for unacceptable behavior (Critchlow, 1983;Lang, 1985;MacAndrew & Edgerton, 1969), or the role of situation-specific rituals Wilson, 1981).…”

A measurement model of women's behavioral risk taking.

“…Although the empirical relationship is well documented, the nature of the association is less well understood. The purpose of the current article is to identify the factor structure of measures of risky sexual behavior and substance use in women and to examine personality characteristics associated with these behaviors.Early studies, including male and female adolescents and adults, have revealed that the variance among measures of risky behaviors can be adequately explained by a single first-order factor, labeled "unconventionality" (e.g., Donovan & Jessor, 1985 (Fromme, Katz, & Rivet, 1997). …”