Global Positive Expectancies of the Self and Adolescents' Substance Use Avoidance: Testing a Social Influence Mediational Model

Abstract

Grounded in theories of global positive expectancies and social influences of behavior, this investigation posited a model in which global positive expectancies are related to substance use as mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and intentions. Using a cohort sample (n = 525), structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized predictions of future substance use. The findings suggest that, relative to adolescents with lower global positive expectancies, adolescents with higher global positive expectancies use substances less frequently over time because of their protective attitudinal and control-oriented perceptions towards that behavior. Additionally, results from the current investigation also extend prior findings on the factor structure of global positive expectancies, suggesting these expectancies can be viewed as a second-order factor representing optimism and two components of hope-agency and pathways.

Behavioural Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Adolescents: A Comparison of Latinos and Non-Latino Whites

“…Perhaps however the higher level of optimism in the bicultural group relative to the marginalised group is a marker for differences in their health status that will be apparent later in adolescence or in adulthood. 21,28 These nding on the higher risk status of marginalised Latinos thus are in part consistent with recent research suggesting that persons with weak attachment to both their host and new culture may be at the highest risk for negative physical as well as mental health outcomes. 29 Also, despite the marginalised group overall being the second highest of the four acculturation groups in the social class indicator, the marginalised youth were signi cantly higher in depressive symptomatology than all other groups.…”

“…Optimism has been linked to a host of healthy behaviours when de ned as a general positive outlook for ones' the future, 26,28 and was measured with eight-item positive global expectancy measure (a 5 0.87). This global expectancy measure was based on adult dispositional optimism and hope scales adapted for mid adolescents in previous studies; in fact this measure was found to be better predictor of adolescent substance use than related measures of self-esteem or self-mastery.…”

“…This global expectancy measure was based on adult dispositional optimism and hope scales adapted for mid adolescents in previous studies; in fact this measure was found to be better predictor of adolescent substance use than related measures of self-esteem or self-mastery. 28 A median split was used to de ne those high and low on optimism.…”

Hope and Social Support in High School Students from Urban and Rural Areas of Ankara, Turkey

“…Research findings pointed out that there is no gender difference in the hope levels of females and males (Carvajal et al 2002;Snyder et al 1991Snyder et al , 1996. However, such results are likely to be presented as girls having lower hope levels than boys in adolescence (Gariglietti et al 1997).…”

A comparison of individual qualities of resiliency in adolescents with mild intellectual disability and typically developing adolescents

“…However, she reported on significant differences only with regard to the Impairment score which is higher at a younger than at an older age. Results of other studies conducted on samples of TD adolescents indicated that self-efficacy (Jacobs et al, 2002;Pajares & Valiante, 1999) and optimism (Carvajal et al, 2002, Patton et al, 2011 decreased with age, and that seeking help as a coping strategy occurred earlier than more complex strategies requiring more developed cognitive abilities (Compas et al, 2001;Hampel & Petermann, 2005). With regard to sense of relatedness in TD adolescents, previous studies also indicated that younger adolescents had a higher level of attachment (Laible et al, 2000;Muris et al, 2003) and perceived social support (Malecki & Demaray, 2002;Scholte et al, 2001), as well as a lower level of loneliness (Brage et al, 1993;Chipuer & Pretty, 2007) compared to older adolescents.…”