Forbidden Fruit and the Prediction of Cigarette Smoking

Abstract

The concept of “forbidden fruit” has been popularly associated with adolescent cigarette smoking in the US. However, only a few empirical studies have been conducted to investigate how this construct operates among adolescents. We examined the concurrent and prospective relationships between two related concepts of forbidden fruit and adolescent cigarette smoking behavior and intention. We found some support for forbidden fruit attitudes as concurrent and longitudinal predictors of smoking and intention to smoke. Implications of these findings are discussed.

RÉSUMÉ

Titre: Le fruit défendu et la prédiction de l’usage de cigarettes

Le concept du «fruit défendu » est souvent associé à l’usage de cigarettes chez l’adolescent aux Etats-Unis. Seules quelques études empiriques ont toutefois été réalisées pour mieux cerner comment le construct fonctionne dans le cas de l’adolescent. Nous avons examiné les rapports concurrents et prospectifs entre ces deux concepts du fruit défendu et du comportement de fumeur et de l’intention de fumer la cigarette chez l’adolescent. Nous avons trouvé quelques indications à l’appui d’attitudes de fruit défendu comme prédicteurs concurrents et longitudinaux de l’usage du tabac et de l’intention de fumer. Les implications de ces conclusions sont discutées.

RESUMEN

Título: El fruto prohibido y la predicción de fumar cigarrillos

En Estados Unidos, el concepto del “fruto prohibido” ha sido asociado popularmente con el hecho de fumar cigarrillos durante la adolescencia. Sin embargo, se han realizado sólo unos cuantos estudios empíricos para investigar cómo este concepto funciona entre los adolescentes. Hemos examinado las relaciones concurrentes y posibles entre dos conceptos relacionados entre sí, que son el fruto prohibido y el comportamiento y la intención de fumar cigarrillos durante la adolescencia. Encontramos algunas indicaciones que apoyan el concepto de que las actitudes del fruto prohibido son factores de predicción concurrente y longitudinal del fumar y de la intención de fumar. Las implicaciones de estos descubrimientos se detallan.

Keywords :

• forbidden fruit
• teens
• cigarette smoking

THE AUTHORS

Steve Sussman, Ph.D., FAAHB, FAPA, received his doctorate in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1984). He is a professor of preventive medicine and psychology at USC. He studies etiology, prevention, and cessation of the addictions broadly defined, and has over 335 publications. His projects include TNT, TND, and EX, considered model programs at numerous international, national, or local agencies.

Rachel Grana, MPH, is a doctoral student at the Institute of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the University of Southern California (USC). Her current work focuses on the etiology of tobacco and other drug use among adolescents, with a specific focus on social, coping, and cultural determinants. Prior to her doctoral studies and obtaining her Masters in Public Health at USC, she worked at MasiMax Resources, Inc. as a contractor to the National Cancer Institute's Tobacco Control Research Branch.

Pallav Pokhrel, PhD, was a doctoral student of Health Behavior Research at the Institute for Prevention Research (IPR), University of Southern California and he is now an Assistant Professor of Research at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii. He is from Kathmandu, Nepal. As a graduate research assistant, he has worked on various adolescent drug-use prevention projects. His current research interests include self-control in relation to adolescent substance use. His dissertation research focuses on social self-control and adolescent substance use.

Louise A. Rohrbach, Ph.D., is an associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California. Her primary research interests include translation of evidence-based prevention interventions to real-world settings, evaluation of drug abuse prevention and cessation programs, and etiology of drug abuse.

Dr. Ping Sun, PhD, graduated in 1999 from the Division of Health Behavior Research, Department of Preventive Medicine, USC, with a doctorate in Health Behavior Research. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine. He has been working on studying the etiology, prevention, and cessation of substance use among youth. His most recent research interest includes exploring the genetic and environmental risk factors of the general propensity of addiction, which may be reflected as substance use or process addiction.