Response consistency in young adolescents’ drug use self‐reports: a recanting rate analysis

Abstract

M. (2005). Response consistency in young adolescents' drug use self-reports: a recanting rate analysis. Addiction, 100(2)(2), 189-196. DOI: 10.1111189-196. DOI: 10. /j.1360189-196. DOI: 10. -0443.2004 Published in: AddictionQueen's University Belfast -Research Portal: Link to publication record in Queen's University Belfast Research Portal General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Findings High levels of drug use recanting were identified, ranging from 7% of past alcohol use to 87% of past magic mushroom use. Recanting increased with the social stigma of the substance used. Denying past alcohol use was associated with being male, attending a catholic school, having positive attitudes towards school, having negative education expectations and not reporting any offending behaviour. Recanting alcohol intoxication was associated with being male and not reporting serious offending behaviour. Cannabis recanting was associated with having negative education expectations, receiving drugs education and not reporting serious offending behaviour. Conclusions The high levels of recanting uncovered cast doubts on the reliability of drug use reports from young adolescents. Failure to address this response error may lead to biased prevalence estimates, particularly within school surveys and drug education evaluation trials.

Using Data Linkage to Investigate Inconsistent Reporting of Self-Harm and Questionnaire Non-Response

“…Inconsistent reporting has also been shown for other stigmatized behaviors such as drug use (Percy, McAlister, Higgins, McCrystal, & Thornton, 2005). We extend this research by examining consistency in reporting of self-harm regardless of suicidal intent, and by examining various characteristics associated with discrepant reporting.…”

Consistency between adolescent reports and adult retrospective reports of adolescent marijuana use: Explanations of inconsistent reporting among an African American population

“…In contrast, those who engage in more deviant behavior (such as delinquency or crime) may be more consistent in their self-reports of drug use because they have less ambivalence about their behavior. Percy et al (2005) found some evidence for this as those who report serious offending were less likely to recant their earlier reported drug use than those who did not report offending. They concluded that the social costs of reporting drug use may be comparably low for them while for others drug use may represent the most serious offense committed and thus disclosure has greater social cost.…”

“…Some suggest that respondents change their definition of substance use as they age (Engles et al, 1997;Percy et al, 2005). For example, having a puff of marijuana at age 12 might be considered drug use during adolescence (and indeed the wording of questions on most surveys would suggest that it is) while this amount of use might be construed as nonuse as an adult.…”

“…For example, having a puff of marijuana at age 12 might be considered drug use during adolescence (and indeed the wording of questions on most surveys would suggest that it is) while this amount of use might be construed as nonuse as an adult. Along these lines, studies have shown that infrequent use is more likely to be recanted (e.g., Fendrich and Vaughn, 1994;Fendrich and Mackesy-Amiti, 2000;Percy et al, 2005).…”

“…However, it is possible that some adolescents exaggerate their use and that the adult retrospective reports about adolescent use are more accurate. Percy et al (2005) suggest that overreporting may occur among adolescents as an attempt to try to gain social status with peers. In this case, it would appear that there was recanting, when in fact the adult report was more accurate.…”