Sensation seeking to marijuana use: Exploring the mediating roles of risk appraisal and social norms

Adolescents' Cannabis Knowledge and Risk Perception: A Systematic Review

To systematically review evidence evaluating cannabis-related knowledge and perception of risk in children and adolescents. We systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology. 133 studies from around the world (including ages 10-18 yrs) met inclusion criteria, with 70% meeting grade 2C quality. Increased knowledge and perception of risk of cannabis frequently correlated with lower levels of current use and intent to use. Studies examining correlations over time generally demonstrated increased adolescent cannabis use and decreased perception of risk. Included prevention-based interventions often enhanced knowledge and/or perception of risk in adolescents exposed to the intervention. Studies exploring outcomes relating to legislative changes for recreational marijuana use demonstrated considerable heterogeneity regarding knowledge and perception of risk whereas studies that focused on medicinal marijuana legislative changes overwhelmingly demonstrated a decrease in perception of risk post legalization. Increased knowledge and perception of risk of cannabis in adolescents often correlate with lower levels of current use and intention to use in the future. Further study and implementation of public health and clinically-oriented strategies that seek to increase knowledge among youth about the potential health harms of cannabis use should continue and be prioritized.

The Mediating Effect of Danger Invulnerability in the Relationship Between Sensation Seeking and Gambling Among University Students

The association between sensation-seeking and gambling is well established, yet the research on mediators of this relationship is limited. The proposed model of the present study includes sensation seeking as an antecedent variable, danger invulnerability as a mediator, and gambling frequency as an outcome variable.Self-report data obtained from a convenient sample of 641 university students aged 18-40 years (Mage = 21.25; F = 52.7%, M = 47.3%) were analysed. This study supported proposed hypothesis that both sensation seeking and danger invulnerability are in significant positive relation with the frequency of gambling. Moreover, the results show that tested mediation model fit the data well, and that danger invulnerability completely mediates the relationship between sensation seeking and gambling frequency, such that higher sensation seeking is related to higher danger invulnerability and higher danger invulnerability is related to higher gambling frequency. The model explained 42.4% of the variance in danger invulnerability and 32.7% of the variance in gambling frequency. This study underscores the importance of examining both the direct and indirect effects of different variables on gambling behaviour.

How Does Online e-cigarette Advertisement Promote Youth's e-cigarettes Use? The Mediating Roles of Social Norm and Risk Perceptions

The adoption of the internet, social media, and e-cigarettes are on the rise among U.S. youth. Uses of social media and online platforms increase the probability for youth to encounter e-cigarette advertisements. Departing from this line of reasoning, we examine the underlying mechanisms of how online e-cigarettes exposure promotes youth's e-cigarette use. Drawing on insights from the social construction of risk model, this study looks at how perceived social norms and risk perception mediate the link between online e-cigarette advertisement exposure and e-cigarette use. Youth aged 12-17 from the Public Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Waves 2-4 (2014-2018) were included (N = 6,067). Controlling for demographic and other known risk factors for e-cigarette use, respondents who had been exposed to online e-cigarette ads at Wave 2 perceived higher levels of positive social norms of e-cigarette use at Wave 3 (β = 0.13, p < .001) which was associated with lower e-cigarette risk perception at Wave 3 (β = -0.22, p < .001). Lower e-cigarette risk perception at Wave 3 resulted in a higher likelihood of e-cigarette use at Wave 4 (AOR = 0.51, p < .001). Online e-cigarettes ads exposure at Wave 2 predicted e-cigarette use at Wave 4 (AOR = 1.87, p < .001). The results indicate that norm perception associated with online e-cigarettes ads may twist youth's e-cigarette risk perception that is associated with subsequent usage. Interventions to curb youth's e-cigarette use can target social norms of e-cigarette use and restrict e-cigarette advertisement exposure to youth.

Follow or not? Descriptive norms and public health compliance: Mediating role of risk perception and moderating effect of behavioral visibility

In a pandemic context, public health events are receiving unprecedented attention, and identifying ways to enhance individual public health compliance behaviors has become an urgent practical problem. Considering that individual decisions are susceptible to group members' behaviors and that descriptive norms provide social information about the typical behaviors of others, we focused on the effects of the properties and reference groups of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors. We also investigated the mechanism with risk perception as a mediator and the applicable condition with behavioral visibility as a moderator. Through a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subject survey experiment with 529 subjects, we demonstrated that (1) compared with the negative norm, the positive norm was more effective in promoting public health compliance behaviors; (2) compared with the distal group norm, the proximal group norm more significantly promoted public health compliance behaviors; (3) the effect of the property of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors was weakened in the treatment of the proximal group norm; (4) risk perception partially mediated the association between the property of descriptive norms and public health compliance behaviors and fully mediated the effect of the interaction of the property and the reference group of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors; in the treatment of the negative-proximal group norm, individuals perceived more risk, thus effectively nudging their public health compliance behaviors; (5) compared with low-visibility behaviors, public health compliance behaviors were significantly stronger for high-visibility behaviors; (6) the property of descriptive norms had a weaker effect on public health compliance behaviors for low-visibility behaviors. In terms of theoretical significance, we refined the study of descriptive norms to promote the application of behavioral public policy. Moreover, the new model of public health compliance behaviors constructed in this study explains the mechanism and applicable conditions of public health compliance behaviors. In practical terms, this study has implications for designing intervention programs to nudge public health compliance behaviors.

The personality and cognitive traits associated with adolescents' sensitivity to social norms

Little is known about the personality and cognitive traits that shape adolescents' sensitivity to social norms. Further, few studies have harnessed novel empirical tools to elicit sensitivity to social norms among adolescent populations. This paper examines the association between sensitivity to norms and various personality and cognitive traits using an incentivised rule-following task grounded in Game Theory. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 1274 adolescents. Self-administered questionnaires were used to measure personality traits as well as other psychosocial characteristics. Incentivised rule-following experiments gauged sensitivity to social norms. A series of multilevel mixed effects ordered logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between sensitivity to norms and the personality and cognitive traits. The results highlighted statistically significant univariate associations between the personality and cognitive traits and sensitivity to norms. However, in the multivariate adjusted model, the only factor associated with sensitivity to norms was gender. The gender-stratified analyses revealed differences in the personality and cognitive traits associated with sensitivity to norms across genders. For males need to belong was significantly negatively associated with sensitivity to norms in the multivariate model. By comparison, emotional stability was negatively associated with sensitivity to norms for females. This study reinforced the findings from an earlier study and suggested female adolescents had higher levels of sensitivity to norms. The results indicated no consistent pattern between sensitivity to norms and the personality and cognitive traits. Our findings provide a basis for further empirical research on a relatively nascent construct, and bring a fresh perspective to the question of norm-following preferences among this age group.

Impulsivity, Depressive Mood, and Cannabis Use in a Representative Sample of French-Speaking Swiss Young Men

Cannabis is the most popular psychoactive substance under international regulations, with more than 192 million users worldwide. It has been associated with an addictive pattern of use and negative social and health-related outcomes in a subgroup of users. Consequently, understanding the individual differences that contribute to cannabis use and problematic use is of much importance. The current study examined the impact of impulsivity traits (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking), delay reward discounting, and depressive mood on cannabis use status during the past 6 months as well as problematic use of cannabis in a representative sample of 635 French-speaking Swiss young men recruited during their conscription in a Swiss national military recruitment center. Binary logistic and multiple linear regressions indicated that cannabis use status was significantly associated with greater depressive mood, elevated sensation seeking, and lack of perseverance, whereas problematic cannabis use was significantly related to higher depressive mood and steeper delay reward discounting. The present study highlights the importance of emotional symptoms in cannabis use and misuse. Our results also shed light on the potential psychological processes related to problematic consumption of cannabis and open avenues for preventive actions and psychological interventions that target problematic use of cannabis.

Does how you use matter? The link between mode of use and cannabis-related risk

OBJECTIVES

With the recent legalization of cannabis there are more cannabis products available to consumers today than ever before. However, little is known about the relation of distinct modes of use to cannabis-related risks. The current study estimated the prevalence of different modes of use among a sample of university students, and quantified the magnitude of association between modes of use (type and number) and cannabis-related risks (i.e., dependence, negative consequences, simultaneous use with alcohol).

METHODS

The sample included 368 undergraduate students (71% female) who reported using cannabis in the last 6 months.

RESULTS

Joints were the most commonly reported primary mode (39%), followed by bongs/water pipes (33%), hand pipes (14%), edibles (7%) and vaporizers (5%). The majority of participants were multi-mode users (88%). On average, participants reported using 2.72 (sd = 1.04) modes of cannabis regularly. Bong users had more cannabis related harms (B = 1.85, p < .001), dependence symptoms (B = 1.87, p < .001) and were twice as likely to use alcohol and cannabis simultaneously (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.17-3.74) compared to joint users. However, these associations were attenuated after adjusting for sex, age and cannabis frequency. Multi-modal users reported significantly more cannabis-related harms and misuse symptoms compared to single mode users.

CONCLUSION

Few differences in cannabis risks were found across modes of use. Frequency of use remains the most significant predictor of cannabis related risks. However, findings suggest that multimodal may be indicative of high risk cannabis use patterns and is an important target for screening and intervention.

Haptic input and balance control: An exploratory study examining normative messaging

This study examined the effect of descriptive norm messaging information on the relationship between haptic input and balance control. Participants were randomly assigned to either a message group where they balanced with haptic input after receiving a descriptive norm message about the positive effect of haptic input or a control group. Findings from an analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between the two groups. Those in the descriptive norm message group had better balance control than those in the control group. These findings suggest that efforts designed to improve balance control through haptic input may be enhanced through normative messaging.