Disclaimer: This Adolescent Substance Use Essay Example is here so that you can look what a good paper looks like and produce your own piece. In case you need your essay written or to hire a writer for biography, we can also help!
The Current Study
This study aimed to assess the factors associated with adolescent substance use. The current study was conducted using a deductive approach, which relies on existing research and theories to generate hypotheses and subsequently tests them. This approach was taken because it allows for an efficient and organized way to investigate the research question by first considering existing research and theories and then refining those ideas through the data collection process.
Hypotheses
Sampling Method
It is necessary to sample because it is impossible to survey the entire population of adolescents to collect data. The sampling method used in this study was convenience sampling, which involves selecting a sample of participants that are readily available and convenient to access. This sampling method was chosen because it is the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to obtain data quickly. Additionally, it allowed the researchers to access a large number of participants in a relatively short amount of time.
One strength of the convenience sampling method used in this study is that it allowed the researchers to access a large number of participants quickly. Additionally, this sampling method is often used in research that requires data collection from individuals who are not easily identified or located. This is especially important in research on adolescent substance use, as it is often difficult to identify and access this population (Pramesh, 2019). One weakness of the convenience sampling method used in this study is that it does not guarantee a representative sample of the population. This means that the results of this study may not be generalizable to the entire population of adolescents. Additionally, this sampling method may lead to bias in the results, as participants may have been selected due to their proximity to the researchers or willingness to participate. This could result in an unrepresentative sample that does not accurately reflect the population of adolescents.
Sample
The sample for this study consisted of 500 adolescents aged 12-18 in the United States. The sample was diverse regarding race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, the sample was geographically diverse, with participants from all regions of the United States. Overall, the sample was of good quality, as it was representative of the population of adolescents in terms of demographic characteristics.
The sample for this study has generalizability, which refers to the degree to which the results of a study can be generalized or applied to a larger population. Because the sample was representative of adolescents in terms of demographic characteristics, the study's results can likely be generalized to the larger population of adolescents in the United States. Additionally, the results may apply to adolescents from other regions because the sample was geographically diverse.
The sample for this study did not have cross-population generalizability, which means that the study's results cannot be applied to other populations. This is because the sample was limited to adolescents in the United States. Therefore, the results of this study cannot be generalized to other populations, such as adolescents in other countries. Additionally, the sample was not diverse in terms of age, which limits the ability to generalize the results to other age groups.
Method of Data Collection
The type of survey used to collect the data in this study was a self-report survey. This type of survey involves participants responding to a set of questions using their own words or ratings. Self-report surveys are often used in research on adolescent substance use because they allow for the collection of detailed and accurate information about participants' experiences (Pramesh, 2019). Two strengths of collecting data through surveys are that they are relatively quick and cost-efficient. Additionally, surveys allow for objectively collecting detailed and accurate information about participants' experiences.
Two weaknesses of collecting data through surveys are that the information provided by participants may be subject to bias due to social desirability. Additionally, surveys may not be able to capture the complexity of the phenomenon being studied. The measures used in this study included self-report surveys and observational measures. The survey questions were designed to assess participants' access to drugs, exposure to drug use in their environment, beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use, and parental monitoring practices. The observational measures were designed to assess participants' observed drug use.
Variables
The first variable is access to drugs, which is an independent variable. This variable is conceptualized as the availability of drugs in the adolescent's environment, which can influence the likelihood of drug use. This variable was measured using a survey question that asked participants to rate their level of drug access on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "no access" and 5 being "easy access." This variable was coded with numbers, with 1 being "no access" and 5 being "easy access."
The second variable is exposure to drug use in the environment, which is an independent variable (Pramesh, 2019). This variable is conceptualized as the amount of exposure to drug use in the adolescent's environment, which can influence the likelihood of drug use. This variable was measured using a survey question that asked participants to rate their exposure to drug use in their environment on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "no exposure" and 5 being "a lot of exposure." This variable was coded with numbers, with 1 being "no exposure" and 5 being "a lot of exposure."
The third variable is beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use, which is an independent variable. This variable is conceptualized as the adolescent's beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use, which can influence the likelihood of drug use. This variable was measured using a survey question that asked participants to rate their beliefs about the acceptability of drug use on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "not acceptable" and 5 being "acceptable." This variable was coded with numbers, with 1 being "not acceptable" and 5 being "acceptable."
The fourth variable is parental monitoring practices, which is an independent variable. This variable is conceptualized as the extent to which parents actively monitor the adolescent's activities and behaviors, which can influence the likelihood of drug use. This variable was measured using a survey question that asked participants to rate the level of parental monitoring in their household on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very low" and 5 being "very high." This variable was coded with numbers, with 1 being "very low" and 5 being "very high."
The fifth variable is observed drug use, which is a dependent variable. This variable is conceptualized as the amount of drug use observed by the researchers in the adolescent's environment. This variable was measured using observational methods, with drug use being coded as either "present" or "absent." This variable was coded with numbers, 1 being "present" and 0 being "absent."
Validity
The study had external validity, which means that the study's results can be generalized to the population of adolescents as a whole. This is because the sample was representative of adolescents regarding demographic characteristics (Ali et al., 2022). Additionally, the sample was geographically diverse, allowing the results to apply to various contexts. The study had internal validity, which means that other factors did not confound the study's results. For example, the sample was randomly selected, and the data was collected in a controlled environment to minimize the influence of extraneous variables.
Additionally, the measures used in the study were reliable and valid, which ensured that the data collected was accurate and free from bias. The variable of access to drugs had face validity, which means that the measure used to assess this variable appeared to be valid. This is because the survey question used to assess this variable specifically asked participants to rate their level of drug access on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "no access" and 5 being "easy access." This ensured that the measure accurately captured the concept of access to drugs. The variable of parental monitoring practices had content validity, which means that the measure used to assess this variable was comprehensive. This is because the survey question used to assess this variable asked participants to rate the level of parental monitoring in their household on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very low" and 5 being "very high." This ensured that the measure accurately captured the concept of parental monitoring practices.
Descriptive Statistics
| Variable | Mean/Frequency |
|---|---|
| Access to Drugs | 2.8 |
| Exposure to Drug Use | 2.4 |
| Beliefs about the Social Acceptability of Drug Use | 3.2 |
| Parental Monitoring Practices | 3.4 |
| Observed Drug Use | 0.2 |
The table above displays the mean or frequency distribution of all the variables in the study. The results show that the average level of access to drugs was 2.8, the average level of exposure to drug use was 2.4, and the average level of beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use was 3.2. The average level of parental monitoring practices was 3.4. The frequency of observed drug use was 0.2. These results suggest that adolescents in the sample had limited access to drugs and a low level of exposure to drug use in their environment but had more positive beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use, higher levels of parental monitoring practices, and a low frequency of observed drug use.
Hypothesis Testing
The study's results showed a statistically significant relationship between each social learning theory variable and the dependent variable (Pramesh, 2019). The results showed that Hypothesis 1 (access to drugs) was supported, with a p-value of 0.001. Hypothesis 2 (exposure to drug use in the environment) was supported with a p-value of 0.002. Hypothesis 3 (beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use) was not supported, with a p-value of 0.091. Hypothesis 4 (parental monitoring practices) was supported with a p-value of 0.001. These results suggest that access to drugs, exposure to drug use in the environment, and parental monitoring practices are all associated with adolescent drug use, while beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use are not (Ali et al., 2022).
This study aimed to assess the factors associated with adolescent substance use using social learning theory. The hypothesis tests showed that access to drugs, exposure to drug use in the environment, and parental monitoring practices were all associated with adolescent drug use, while beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use were not (Hamidullah et al., 2020). These findings suggest that social learning theory applies to adolescent substance use and that access to drugs, exposure to drug use in the environment, and parental monitoring practices can play a role in influencing adolescent drug use.
Implications for Theory and Literature
This study suggests that social learning theory applies to adolescent substance use. This is consistent with the findings of the four articles reviewed in the literature review. The first article found a positive correlation between parental monitoring and adolescent drug use, which is consistent with the findings of this study (Kaggwa et al., 2022). The second article found that peer influence had a significant effect on adolescent drug use, which is consistent with the findings of this study regarding exposure to drug use in the environment (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). The third article found that adolescents with more positive attitudes toward drug use were more likely to use drugs, which is consistent with the findings of this study regarding beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use (Hamidullah et al., 2020). The fourth article found that access to drugs was associated with increased drug use, which is consistent with the findings of this study.
Implications for Policy
Based on the results of this study, several policy implications can be drawn. First, policies should be implemented to reduce access to drugs, such as stricter laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of drugs. Second, policies should be implemented to reduce exposure to drug use in the environment, such as education and awareness campaigns and interventions that target adolescents. Third, policies should be implemented to strengthen parental monitoring practices, such as providing resources and support to parents to help them monitor their children's activities and behaviors (Kaggwa et al., 2022). Fourth, policies should be implemented to address beliefs about the social acceptability of drug use, such as programs that promote drug refusal skills and provide education about the risks of drug use.
Limitations and Future Research
One limitation of this study is that it relied on self-report surveys and observational methods to collect data. This type of data collection is subject to bias due to social desirability and may not be able to capture the complexity of the phenomenon being studied. Future research should address this limitation using various data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and physiological measures. Additionally, future research should include a larger and more diverse sample to allow for greater generalizability of the results.
