NCJ Number
130696
Journal
Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 87-102
Date Published
1991
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The study examined Virginia's experience with Project DARE and measures the impact of primary drug prevention programs on improving self-esteem in early adolescents.
Abstract
The study's expectation was that DARE participants would show greater gains in self-esteem than non-DARE students; more knowledge about the consequences of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; more positive attitudes toward law enforcement; and increased anti-drug attitudes. The results, however, showed that the treatment group showed modest gains over the control group in each area except for self-esteem. Table 3 presents the results of each group at posttest for each of the areas studied. The results indicate the existence of a John Henry effect as a confounding explanation of the self-esteem outcome. The John Henry effect occurs when the control group performs above its usual average when placed in known competition with an experimental group. The article concludes with suggestions as to how to conduct evaluations to avoid this effect and how to question the early adolescents so that they answer with how they really feel rather than with socially approved answers. 1 figure, 5 tables, and 41 references (Author abstract modified)