Cognitive Models of Adolescent Substance Use
This research is examining the social cognitions
that mediate and moderate the relations between environmental factors—peers,
family, and context—and adolescent drug use. The theoretical foundation of the
project is the prototype/willingness model. We have begun a series of lab and
field studies that examine risk-relevant cognitions (e.g., perceived risk, risk
images, social norms) and risk behavior (primarily drug use) among adolescents,
age 14 to 22, who are either European American or African American. The lab
studies look at the relation between stress and drug use. In particular, we are
examining factors, such as the stress associated with experiencing racial discrimination, that
influence how young people process information about drugs and their effects.
This project is funded by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse