The influence of siblings and close friendships on early adolescent cigarette and alcohol expectancies.
Item
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Title
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The influence of siblings and close friendships on early adolescent cigarette and alcohol expectancies.
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Identifier
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AAI9997105
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identifier
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9997105
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Creator
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Malow-Iroff, Micheline Susan.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Helen Johnson
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Date
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2001
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Education, Educational Psychology
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Abstract
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This investigation focuses on sibling and best friend relationships during pre-adolescence as an element in the social context within which expectancies about cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking develop. Elements of normative influence are investigated which include conformity, quality of interaction, and gender differences. Also aspects of similarity are investigated by examining the attitude and expectancies held toward the use of cigarettes and alcohol and the present use of cigarettes and alcohol by the pre-adolescent subject, the best friend, and an older sibling.;The study draws on self-report data collected in two public middle schools in an urban area of Massachusetts. The subject pool consisted of 159 students at the sixth grade level and 147 students at the seventh grade level. An active consent procedure was used to procure parental consent for children to participate in the study.;The items on the questionnaire addressed characteristics of the student, family beliefs and practices, peer beliefs and practices, and the student's positive and negative expectancies about smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Results from this investigation support previous work that indicates that peer influences on early adolescent cigarette and alcohol use are significant. In addition, this inquiry lends support to the body of work that has found that attitudes and the perception of approval contribute to the formation of expectancies about cigarettes and alcohol. Although it was predicted that the intimate relationships (i.e., best friends and siblings) would exert a stronger influence on the students, this was not upheld for the pre-adolescents under investigation. Results indicated that all peer relationships (i.e., friends, best friends and siblings) were influential in the prediction of positive expectancies. Results also suggest that the elements of normative influence examined in this study impact on males and females differently.;This research has important implications for school psychologists, as they are the individuals involved in substance use prevention and intervention activities in the schools and communities. School psychologists need to be informed as to the developmental changes experienced, the impact of the social-normative influences experienced, and finally the time and types of prevention that will work best for this pre-adolescent population.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
