Global Positive Expectancies of the Self and Adolescents' Substance Use Avoidance: Testing a Social Influence Mediational Model

• Published in: Journal of personality Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 421 - 442
• Main Authors: Carvajal, Scott C., Evans, Richard I., Nash, Susan G., Getz, J. Greg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA, USA Blackwell Publishing 01-06-2002; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Attitude; Attitudes; Avoidance; Biological and medical sciences; Drug use; Expectancy theory; Female; Humans; Intention; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Peer Group; Personality; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self; Self Concept; Self Efficacy; Selfregulation; Social behaviour; Social Environment; Social influence; Social norms; Social psychology; Substance abuse; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Young people; Human; Consumption; Alcoholic beverage; Social influence; Theoretical model; Illicit drug; Adolescent; Risk factor; Self efficacy; Intention; Personality; Standards
• ISSN: 0022-3506; 1467-6494
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-6494.05010

ABSTRACT
Grounded in theories of global positive expectancies and social influences of behavior, this investigation posited a model in which global positive expectancies are related to substance use as mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, self‐efficacy, and intentions. Using a cohort sample (
n = 525), structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized predictions of future substance use. The findings suggest that, relative to adolescents with lower global positive expectancies, adolescents with higher global positive expectancies use substances less frequently over time because of their protective attitudinal and control‐oriented perceptions towards that behavior. Additionally, results from the current investigation also extend prior findings on the factor structure of global positive expectancies, suggesting these expectancies can be viewed as a second‐order factor representing optimism and two components of hope—agency and pathways.