Taking drugs for exams: an investigation with social work students

ABSTRACT

The present study carried out in Germany is concerned with social work students’ consumption of either non-prescribed medicine (e.g. amphetamine) or illegal drugs (such as cocaine) to improve their cognitive performance (neuroenhancement) during examinations. In the main study (n = 257), 16% reported to have consumed such substances, including more men than women and more older than younger students. The use of drugs was neither influenced by study-related variables (e.g. performance pressure) nor parent-related factors (e.g. high-performance expectations). However, as expected by the Theory of Planned Behavior, there were impacts of (1) students’ belief in the supposed effectiveness of neuroenhancers, (2) their affiliation to a ‘doping’ student minority group, and (3) the possibility and situational ease of procurement of such substances. The conclusions were supported by a replication study (n = 444). Finally, implications of these results for social work education are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work students
• examinations
• substance consumption
• neuroenhancement
• theory of planned behavior

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Rebecca Blanz, Marius Fischer, Daniel Zügner and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Roxana Schweighart

Roxana Schweighart, Master of Social Work (M.A.) at the University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt; since 2016 social worker in the field of social psychiatry; since 2018 cooperative doctorate at the University of Vechta and the University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt; 2020 scholarship of LaKoF (Landeskonferenz der Frauen- und Gleichstellungsbeauftragten an bayerischen Hochschulen). Email: [email protected].

Sebastian Kruck

Sebastian Kruck, 2017 Bachelor of Social Work (B.A.) at the University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt; since 2019 probation officer at the District Court of Wuerzburg. Email: [email protected].

Mathias Blanz

Mathias Blanz, 1985 Diploma and 1988 Doctorate in Psychology at the University of Marburg; 1991 Approbation as outpatient behavioural therapist; 1996–1998 scholarship of the DFG (German Research Association); 1998 Habilitation in Psychology at the University of Muenster; since 2001 Professor for Social and Organisational Psychology. Email: [email protected].