NCJ Number
68644
Journal
Drug Forum Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978-79) Pages: 1-8
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
E.H. SUTHERLAND'S DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY WAS APPLIED TO THE ILLEGAL USE OF DRUGS (OTHER THAN MARIHUANA AND ALCOHOL) IN THIS STUDY OF 147 MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASS WHITE YOUTHS.
Abstract
A PATH MODEL BASED ON THE DEFLEUR AND QUINNEY INTERPRETATION, WHERE SYMBOLIC LOGIC WAS USED TO DERIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONCEPTS, WAS UTILIZED. TWO DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION PROCESSES, DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDE ASSOCIATION AND DIFFERENTIAL ACTION ASSOCIATION, WERE PROPOSED TO EXPLAIN THE GENESIS OF DRUG USE. THE DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM RESPONSES TO MAIL QUESTIONNAIRES. QUESTIONS CONCERNED BEST FRIEND, LONGEST FRIEND, MOST FREQUENT COMPANION, AND PARENTS. THEY WERE BASED ON SUTHERLAND'S SPECIFICATIONS OF PRIORITY, DURATION, INTENSITY, AND FREQUENCY OF INTERACTION. THE SUBJECTS SPECIFIED THE FREQUENCY OF DRUG USE AND RATED THE PERCEIVED SERIOUSNESS OF DRUG USE AS SEEN BY PEERS, PARENTS, AND SELF. THE FINDINGS LENT SUPPORT TO THE GENERAL MODEL BASED ON SUTHERLAND'S THEORY FOR THE EXPLANATION OF DRUG USE, SINCE 66 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE IN DRUG USE WAS ACCOUNTED FOR BY VARIABLES SPECIFIED IN THE MODEL. EXPOSURE TO AN EXCESS OF DEFINITIONS (EITHER ATTITUDINAL OR ACTION) FAVORABLE TO VIOLATION OF DRUG LAWS, WHETHER INTERNALIZED OR NOT, PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE GENESIS OF DRUG USE. DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDE ASSOCIATION AND DIFFERENTIAL ACTION ASSOCIATION WORKED EITHER INDEPENDENTLY OR TOGETHER TO PRODUCE DRUG USE, BUT DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDE ASSOCIATION HAD THE GREATER EFFECT. THE GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY WAS LIMITED SINCE LOWER CLASS DRUG USERS WERE NOT INVESTIGATED. TABLES, FIGURES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.