The development of social images of substance users in children: a Guttman unidimensional scaling approach

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this paper was to examine the development of social images or prototypes of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana users among children in the first through eighth grade using a Guttman unidimensional scaling approach.

Methods: Participants were 1,075 first through fifth grade children who completed annual assessments for 4 years.

Results: The properties of a Guttman scale consisting of three sequential prototypes, (1) popular, (2) popular and exciting, and (3) popular, exciting and cool, were within acceptable limits for all three substances for second through eighth graders, suggesting that these prototypes were scaleable and represented a single dimension. Prototypes became more positive after the fifth grade and varied by gender. Prototypes, moderated by age and gender, were related to intention to use substances in the future.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that children's prototypes of substance users are unidimensional and cumulative for all three substances and that they develop sequentially. The relation of prototypes to intention among children in the second through the eighth grade supports the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype/Willingness model, but suggest incorporating age and gender. Children as young as second grade can reliably make valid judgments about attributes of children who use substances. Results of this study have both theoretical and practical implications.

• Development
• attitudes
• children

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Grant No. DA10767 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The authors wish to thank Sarah Hampson and Cheryl Lorenz for their helpful review of this manuscript and Christine Lorenz for her contribution in the preparation of this manuscript.

Notes

1. Cohort is defined by grade at T1. First graders were first graders at T1; second graders were second graders at T1 and T2 (first graders at T1), third graders were third graders at T1, T2 (second graders at T1) and T3 (first graders at T1); fourth graders were fourth graders at T1, T2 (third graders at T1), T3 (second graders at T1) and T4 (third graders at T3); fifth graders were fifth graders at T1, T2 (fourth graders at T1), T3 (third graders at T1), and T4 (second graders at T1); sixth graders were sixth graders at T2 (fifth graders at T1), T3 (fourth graders at T1) and T4 (third graders at T1); seventh graders were seventh graders at T3 (fifth graders at T1) and T4 (fourth graders at T1); eighth graders were eighth graders at T4 (fifth graders at T1).

2. Among first graders, 95% of boys and 93% of girls identified cigarettes, 93% of boys and 83% of girls identified alcohol, and 4% of boys and 11% of girls identified marijuana; among second graders, 97% of boys and 96% of girls identified cigarettes, 93% of boys and 85% of girls identified alcohol, and 12% of boys and 15% of girls identified marijuana; among third graders, 97% of boys and 98% of girls identified cigarettes, 96% of boys and 92% of girls identified alcohol and 25% of boys and 16% of girls identified marijuana.

3. When they were in the fifth grade, children in the fourth and fifth grade cohort (fourth and fifth grade at T1) reported less positive prototypes of cigarette users [F(3,818) = 2.59, p = 0.052], of alcohol users [F(3,816) = 4.85, p<0.01], and of marijuana users [F(3,819) = 4.14, p<0.01] than children in the second or third grade cohort. Children in the fourth grade cohort reported higher intentions to smoke cigarettes when older than children in the other cohorts when they were in the fourth grade [F(3,823) = 2.11, p = 0.097]. Children who were in the fourth and fifth grade cohorts had higher intentions to smoke cigarettes when older [F(2,601) = 3.28, p<0.05], and higher intentions to drink alcohol when older when they were in the sixth grade [F(2, 600) = 3.09, p<0.05] than children who were in the third grade cohort.

4. For prototypes of cigarette users, stability coefficients were: 0.25 between first and second grade; 0.22 between second and third grade; 0.25 between third and fourth grade; 0.22 between fourth and fifth grade; 0.16 between fifth and sixth grade; 0.28 between sixth and seventh grade; and 0.30 between seventh and eighth grade. For prototypes of alcohol users, stability coefficients were: 0.29 between first and second grade; 0.28 between second and third grade; 0.23 between third and fourth grade; 0.37 between fourth and fifth grade; 0.23 between fifth and sixth grade; 0.31 between sixth and seventh grade; and 0.38 between seventh and eighth grade. For prototypes of marijuana users, stability coefficients were: 0.34 between fourth and fifth grade; 0.19 between fifth and sixth grade; 0.23 between sixth and seventh grade; and 0.15 between seventh and eighth grade.

5. For second graders, B = 0.08, t = 2.02, p<0.05; third graders, B = 0.10, t = 2.88, p<0.01; fourth graders, B = 0.012, t = 3.616, p<0.001; fifth graders, B = 0.13, t = 3.84, p<0.001; sixth graders, B = 0.19, t = 5.45, p<0.001; for seventh graders, B = 0.15, t = 4.16, p<0.001; and eighth graders, B = 0.18, t = 4.49, p<0.001.

6. For fourth grade girls, B = 0.12, t = 2.86, p<0.01; for fifth grade girls, B = 0.12, t = 2.81, p<0.01; for sixth grade girls, B = 0.16, t = 4.04, p<0.001; for seventh grade girls, B = 0.25, t = 6.63, p<0.001; and for eighth grade girls, B = 0.42, t = 10.41, p<0.001.

7. For fourth graders, B = 0.13, t = 3.51, p<0.001; for fifth graders, B = 0.14, t = 3.74, p<0.001; for sixth graders, B = 0.22, t = 6.44, p<0.001; for seventh graders, B = 0.31, t = 9.11, p<0.001; and for eighth graders, B = 0.49, t = 15.21, p<0.001.