Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Psychology

Sub-Department

Clinical-Community Psychology

First Advisor

Kate Flory

Abstract

Research has demonstrated considerable links between symptoms of ADHD and negative outcomes such as increased risk for cigarette use, which, despite an overall decline, remains a serious public health concern. Cigarette use is often associated with positive expectancies, or ideas about the effects of smoking. While some work on ADHD symptoms has focused on alcohol expectancies, no work has investigated how they might be related to smoking expectancies Other factors, such as susceptibility to peer influence, also remain shallowly explored. The present study is the first to examine interrelations among ADHD symptoms, smoking expectancies, and susceptibility to peer influence. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relation between symptoms of ADHD and positive smoking expectancies. Further, it was hypothesized that susceptibility to peer influence would moderate this relation such that it would be stronger for individuals who were more susceptible to the influence of their peers. Results from linear regression analyses did not support these hypotheses. However, it is unclear whether results stem from a true absence of relations among ADHD symptoms, smoking expectancies, and susceptibility to peer influence, or a lack of statistical power. Additional research with larger samples using these constructs is needed to better understand their relations and to strengthen our understanding and measurement of the construct of susceptibility to peer influence.

Rights

© 2013, Lauren Dattilo

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS