We report on research--both quantitative and qualitative--conducted to explore perceptions of prototypes of marijuana users, as well as the extent to which self-prototype congruence predicted marijuana use intention. Results of a survey of undergraduates (N = 139) showed that prototypes of users and non-users differed in terms of key attributes,…

This study explored an understudied promotive factor, a belief that alcohol use is inconsistent with personal autonomy, which may reduce adolescent intention to drink and subsequent alcohol use. Autonomy was examined as an attitudinal construct within the Theory of Reasoned Action. Longitudinal data from 2,493 seventh grade students nested in 40…

Examines the utility of a new measure of personal value of alcohol use in predicting intentions to reduce post-college alcohol use. As expected, alcohol consumption quantity/frequency and frequency of consuming five or more drinks per occasion were unrelated to intention to reduce alcohol use after college. The personal value of alcohol measure…

Examines the efficacy of alcohol education programs. This study (N=83) found that recency of exposure to alcohol education classes and discussion of alcohol advertising in those classes predicts adolescent cognitive resistance (counterarguing) to persuasive alcohol advertising for months or even years. Suggests greater attention to critical…

Proposes that the impact of adolescents' reactions to antidrug messages is contingent upon the extent of adolescent rebelliousness. Studied 51 adolescents who saw 6 antidrug Public Service Advertisements (PSAs). Rebellious adolescents from the more authoritarian, conformity-oriented families who were shown antidrug PSAs considered the messages…

Study identifies and examines prevention resources developed to address the problem of adolescent solvent abuse. Prevention materials were coded according to targeted age group, ethnicity, and media format. Results suggest that specific prevention messages are often used with specific age groups, cultural content, and media formats. (Contains 32…

Study randomly samples 66 drinking and driving television public service announcements that were then coded using a categorical and dimensional scheme. Data set reveals that informational/testimonial messages made up almost half of the total; positive appeals were the next most common, followed by empathy, fear, and modeling appeals. (Contains 34…

Tests adolescents' perception of characters' ages in four television beer advertisements and examines correlational relationships between such age judgments and alcohol use. Some 39.4% of participants reported that the youngest character was under 21. Perceptions were positively related to amount of alcohol use among junior high school students,…