The search for the one causal influence to account for youthful drug use has always failed. An alternate approach is advocated and tested that relates exposure to and impact of various types of psychosocial risk factors to understanding substance use. Data were obtained from 2,926 students in the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades. Twelve risk factors were selected and tested. These 12 variables were able to explain over 50% of the variance in a measure of general drug use. A unit-weighted, summed index of risk factors was linearly related to use and abuse (heavy use) of cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, hard drugs, and a composite substance use score. Differential exposure to and impact of risk factors on drug-taking behaviors were tested for differences by sex, age, ethnicity, and type of school attending. Patterns of exposure were somewhat different than patterns of vulnerability and impact, and can partially account for the status-group differences in drug use.

The present study examines substance use among academically successful students. The data were collected in two discrete anonymous surveys of 2,288 ninth-grade and 2,653 eleventh-grade California students, and 1,043 ninth-grade and 862 eleventh-grade students from a large suburban county. Over 70 percent of the academically successful students from both samples reported some type of drug use. These successful students were divided for comparison into three groups according to their involvement with drugs: abstainers, conventional users, and high-risk users. The analyses indicated that the negative association between drug use and academic achievement may be counter-balanced by mediating factors identified in the study. These factors included high "educational aspiration," "parent educational level," and "emotional stability."

No abstract

Research on the creative product may provide an analytical tool for generating and testing hypotheses about psychological variables related to level and style of creative achievement. Evaluations of products should be analyzed to determine (1) whether more than one point of view about quality is held among a heterogeneous group of judges and (2) whether personality, academic, and background characteristics of Ss producing the products relate differentially to quality as defined by different points of view. In a study of artistic creativity, drawings were collected from 191 sophomore students at a school of design and rated for esthetic quality by 28 artist and non-artist judges. Four points of view about quality were identified by factor analysis of correlations between judges. Evidence is presented that psychological, achievement, and background characteristics of Ss are differentially related to quality of their drawings as defined by the four points of view. In particular, choice of major, scores on certain aptitude tests, academic performance in the fine arts courses, and measures of wealth of cultural background showed differential correlations with the points of view. Finally, characteristics of drawings rated high or low according to at least two of the judgmental viewpoints may be useful in the generation of hypotheses about psychological variables related to creativity.

An interactive approach at the secondary school level that incorporates an age-appropriate educational process is proposed. While advising abstinence, this approach also facilitates identifying and assisting problematic AOD users.