A Three Dimensional Structure of Drug Attitudes

Abstract

College students were asked to respond to eighteen household, legal, and illegal drugs as to their perceived dangerousness, strength, pleasantness and their own usage. Drugs tended to factor into four areas: an alcohol factor; a “drug” factor containing stimulants, sedatives, and others; a household drug factor containing cola, over-the-counter drugs, aspirin, and others; and a less stable fourth factor of changing membership. Perceptions of strength and dangerousness were highly correlated. Usage and dangerousness tended to be negatively correlated while usage and pleasantness tended to be positively correlated. The dangerousness dimension separated the drugs into legal and illegal categories. Marijuana was a primary exception to this sorting and took membership among the legal drugs. The relationships among perceptions and usage are discussed.

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References

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