Predicting Students’ Intention to use Stimulants for Academic Performance Enhancement

Abstract

Background: The non-medical use of stimulants for academic performance enhancement is becoming a more common practice among college and university students. Objective: The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of students’ intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of enhancing their academic performance. Based on an extended model of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, we examined the predictive value of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, psychological distress, procrastination, substance use, and alcohol use on students’ intention to use stimulants to improve their academic performance. Methods: The sample consisted of 3,589 Flemish university and college students (mean age: 21.59, SD: 4.09), who participated anonymously in an online survey conducted in March and April 2013. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the relationships among the study variables. Results: Our results indicate that subjective norm is the strongest predictor of students’ intention to use stimulant medication, followed by attitude and perceived behavioral control. To a lesser extent, procrastinating tendencies, psychological distress, and substance abuse contribute to students’ intention. Conclusions/ Importance: Based on these findings, we provide several recommendations on how to curtail students’ intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of improving their academic performance. In addition, we urge researchers to identify other psychological variables that might be related to students’ intention.

Keywords :

• college students
• stimulant medication abuse
• non-medical prescription drug use
• intention to use stimulants
• academic performance enhancement

THE AUTHORS

Koen Ponnet, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences and at the Faculty of Law of University of Antwerp. He teaches General and Social Psychology, Sociological and Psychological Aspects of Safety, and Public Safety and Citizenship. His current research interests include processes that protect the (mental) health and well-being of adults and adolescents. He also supervises research on adolescents' attitudes, self-disclosure and protective behaviors in social network sites.

Edwin Wouters, PhD, is assistant professor in medical sociology at the University of Antwerp. He is also appointed as a senior research associate at the Centre for Health Systems Research & Development of the University of the Free State (South Africa). His current research interests include medication adherence, psycho-social support, mental health, quality of life, health systems, and health policy.

Michel Walrave, PhD, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp. He leads the research group MIOS. His research is related to societal implications of ICT in general, and ICT-use risks in particular. His current research focusses on adolescents’ online risk-taking behavior and its determinants.

Wannes Heirman, Msc, is a research and teaching assistant at the department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp. He has a broad interest for research into how information and communication technologies are impacting the daily lives of young children and teenagers, and how they deal with their privacy.

Guido Van Hal, PhD, is a medical sociologist. He established the Research Unit Medical Sociology and Health Policy within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. The Research Unit has extensive experience with quantitative and qualitative research methodology. The main topics of interest are substance abuse and cancer screening.

Notice of Correction:

Corrections have been made to the affiliations of the first two authors since the original online publication date of December 1, 2014.