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The first presentation reports outcomes of a school-based study assessing the relative impact of gain/loss frame messages tailored to students in contexts where marijuana use is normative or non-normative. Adolescent participants engaged with a program delivering (in one 20-30 min. session) study elements: a pretest, randomly assigned drug prevention messages, and a posttest. Results indicate that use intentions of at-risk students perceiving marijuana use as normative were mitigated by gain framing combined with attitudinal feedback. Findings imply attitudes toward prevention messages can be reinforced or challenged successfully via feedback and gain-framed messages tailored to norm perceptions attenuate use intentions.
The second presentation reports on a series examining the relationship between trait reactance (tPR) and prevention variables. Studies consist of secondary analyses of data from school-based trials examining drug prevention message approaches with adolescents. Trials used a general procedure where participants engaged with a program delivering (one 20-30 min. session) common elements: a pretest, randomly assigned drug prevention messages, and a posttest. Results support consideration of tPR as an individual difference variable important to drug use prevention. tPR appears to be a predictor of use intentions and also serves as a moderator of responses to drug prevention messages. Moreover, it is related to parenting variables found to be important predictors of adolescent drug use.
The final presentation reports results of a study assessing how salient affect influences responses on TPB measures targeting marijuana use. Participants (N = 677) were randomly assigned in a 2 (mood manipulation: pleasant, unpleasant) by 4 (TPB measure: attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions) between subjects factorial design. ANCOVA revealed a significant interaction of marijuana use and mood manipulation on attitudes and subjective norms. The results support the hypothesis that salient mood states may impact key TPB constructs.
The presentations highlight variables that have seen little use in drug prevention messaging and reveal avenues for improving the development, and impact, of prevention communications. Moreover, these studies take into account differing audiences: young adolescents in environments where marijuana use is normative or non-normative, adolescents high in trait reactance, parents of young adolescents, and individuals in differing mood states.