Citation

Fabricius WV, Nagoshi CT, Mackinnon DP. Addiction 1997; 92(7): 847-858.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9293044

Abstract

Seventy-seven college students varying in degree of drug use experience rated the perceived similarities of all possible combinations of 16 drugs classes (cigarettes, other tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, barbiturates, minor and major tranquilizers, amphetamines, amphetamine derivatives, cocaine, heroin, opiates, hallucinogens, inhalants, PCP, anti-depressants). Multi-dimensional scaling (INDSCAL) and network models (PFNET) indicated that abstainers had only one pharmacological category involving sedatives/depressants, and that they attached more importance to whether drugs were licit vs. illicit than to whether they were depressants vs. stimulants. Conceptions became more coherent, differentiated and based on pharmacological properties for more experienced drug users. In line with previous work, groups with greater experience with drugs had more sophisticated conceptions not only about the drugs they had used, but also about drugs they had not used. These findings suggest that early on in drug behavior sophisticated and interrelated concepts are developing that should be taken into account when designing interventions and information campaigns.

Language: en