Browsing by Author "Hershberger, Alexandra"

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    Attitudes Towards Substance Use: A Potential Mechanism in the Relationship Between Conduct Disorder and Substance Use in Detained Youth
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Kolp, Haley; Hershberger, Alexandra; Aalsma, Matthew; Cyders, Melissa A.
    Background: There is a well-established relationship between conduct disorder and substance use, particularly in detained youth. Attitudes toward substance use predict alcohol and marijuana use; however, little research has investigated attitudes as a mechanism between conduct disorder and substance use specifically in detained youth. Methods: Ninety-three detained youth (Mean age=15; SD=1.346; Female=15.1%) completed a court ordered psychological assessment, which included the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory for Adolescents (SASSI-A) and the Youth Self Report (YSR) to assess alcohol and drug use, attitudes towards substance use, and conduct disorder symptomology. Results: Two mediation models were run using Andrew Hayes’ PROCESS to test the effect of conduct disorder on alcohol use and drug use (run in separate models) through attitudes towards substance use, controlling for age and gender. Conduct disorder directly related to positive attitudes toward substance use in the alcohol model (b=0.47, t(91)=4.45, p<.001) and drug use model (b=0.30, t(91)=3.33, p=.001). Conduct disorder directly related to alcohol use (b=0.32, t(89)=2.60, p=.02) and drug use (b=0.44, t(89)=3.04, p=0.003). Attitudes toward substance use were associated with higher alcohol use scores, (b=0.42, t(89)=3.99, p<.001) and drug use scores (b=0.27, t(89)=1.92, p=.06). The relationship between conduct disorder and alcohol use was significantly mediated by positive attitudes toward substance use (b=0.20, CI 0.04 to 0.42); however, the relationship between conduct disorder and drug use as mediated by positive attitudes towards substance use was non-significant (b=0.07, CI -0.003 to 0.24). Discussion: The results support that one way in which conduct disorder increases risk for substance use in detained youth is through increasing the likelihood of holding positive attitudes towards substance use. Modifying positive alcohol attitudes might be a prime point of intervention to avoid risks associated with substance use among conduct disordered detained youth.
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    E-cigarettes: A novel measure for the expectancies of e-cigarette use as directly compared to cigarette use
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Hershberger, Alexandra; Karyadi, Kenny; Cyders, Melissa
    Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) were created as an alternative to cigarettes and approximate the look and experience of smoking a cigarette (American Cancer Society, 2014). E-cigs are often marketed as having fewer health risks as compared to cigarettes (Grana & Ling, 2014) and individuals anecdotally report choosing to use e-cigs because they are safer than traditional cigarettes. However, no research has directly compared expectations individuals have about e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. Having positive expectations about e-cigs makes it more likely an individual will choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes. The present study created a novel measure, the Electronic Cigarette Questionnaire (ECQ), to directly compare e-cig and cigarette expectations. Method: Undergraduate students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course voluntarily completed an online survey containing the ECQ and other demographic questions as part of a larger study. Participants received course credit for study completion. Results: Two hundred ninety-one students (mean age=20, SD=4.05, 71.2% white, 75.3% female, 8.3% e-cig users) completed the ECQ and other measures. The reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.93). An exploratory factor analysis using Promax rotation found three factors (eigenvalue>1, supported by scree plot): health related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less harmful to the user’s health than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.93), craving and withdrawal related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are more enjoyable to use than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.90), and general use behavior expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less addictive than traditional cigarettes”; 5 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.82). Correlation between all three scales were significant (p<.01; Health x General Use, r=0.562; Health x Craving, r=0.515; General Use x Craving, r=0.585). Frequency of e-cig use (never, a few times a month, a few times a week, at least once a day, 10 or more times per day) was related to higher positive expectations towards e-cigs as compared to cigarettes, F(4, 287)=3.7, p=0.01. Conclusions: Individuals directly compare e-cigs and cigarettes on health-related, craving and withdrawal, and general use expectations. Although cross-sectional, this data suggests the viability of a causal model in which more positive expectations about e-cigs as compared to cigarettes likely influences one’s choice to choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes and leads to more frequent ecig use. Future studies should investigate how these expectations affect later e-cig use and how e-cig advertisements, which often claim that e-cigs are better for your health than cigarettes (Huang et al., 2014; Paek et al., 2014) without strong empirical data to support these claims, can change expectations and subsequent e-cig use. The relationship between the ECQ and e-cig use frequency suggest that this is a valid measure of expectancies towards e-cigs as compared to cigs.
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    Essentially, All Models are Wrong, but Some Are Useful": A Preliminary Conceptual Model Of Co-Occurring E-Cig and Alcohol Use
    (Springer, 2017-06) Hershberger, Alexandra; Cyders, Melissa A.; Psychology, School of Science
    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: As prevalence rates of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use increase, researchers and clinicians should not only be paying careful attention to the direct health effects of e-cigs, but also the potential impact e-cigs may have on alcohol use behaviors. We review the current state of the literature and propose a conceptual model for the relationship between e-cig and alcohol use, including important consequences, mechanisms, and moderators of this relationship. RECENT FINDINGS: The model is based in emerging literature examining the direct relationship between e-cig and alcohol use, as well as indirect evidence concerning potential mechanisms from research on cigarette and alcohol use. Overall, research indicates a robust relationship between e-cig and alcohol use. SUMMARY: We suggest that a relationship between e-cig use and alcohol use could be particularly problematic, especially for adolescents and for those with or at risk for alcohol use disorders. We hope the presented conceptual model can stimulate research in this area. We make research recommendations, including the need for more methodological rigor, including improved measurement of e-cig use, and expanding research to longitudinal and experimental designs.
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    Family and Peer Influences on Substance Attitudes and Use among Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth
    (Springer, 2019-02) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Clifton, Richelle L.; Banks, Devin E.; Hershberger, Alexandra; Aalsma, Matthew; Psychology, School of Science
    Juvenile justice-involved youth experience high rates of substance use, which is concerning given associated negative consequences, including health and functional deficits. Family and peer factors are associated with a high risk of substance use among justice-involved youth. It is hypothesized that this risk process operates through pro-drug attitudes. However, limited research has been conducted on the mechanisms through which family and peer factors increase risk for substance use among juvenile justice involved youth. The current study examined both the direct and indirect effects of family and peer substance use on youth's substance use (alcohol and illicit drug use). We also examined whether this relationship differs by race. 226 detained youth (81.9% male; 74.3% Black) were recruited from an urban county in the Midwest and completed a clinical interview and substance use assessment battery. A direct effect of family/peer risk on illicit drug use was found for all youth, though the effect was stronger among White youth. Results also supported the indirect effect pathway from family/peer risk to both illicit drug use and alcohol use through pro-drug attitudes. This pathway did not vary by race. These findings suggest that interventions should focus on targeting both family/peer risk and pro-drug attitudes to reduce substance use. Given the racial difference in the direct effect of family/peer risk on illicit drug use, there may be other factors that influence risk more strongly for White youth, which warrants further investigation.
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    Social Support as a Buffer Between Discrimination and Cigarette Use in Juvenile Offenders
    (Elsevier, 2016-08) Hershberger, Alexandra; Zapolski, Tamika; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Department of Psychology, School of Science
    Cigarette use is a prominent problem in juvenile offenders, leading to negative health outcomes and substance use. One interesting precipitator of cigarette use in this population is discrimination. Social support could potentially buffer the positive relationship between cigarette use and discrimination in juvenile offenders, which could be dependent on the context in which the discrimination is experienced, such as peer, institutional (e.g., stores, restaurants), or educational contexts. The present study explored the relationship between three types of discrimination, social support, and smoking outcomes among 112 detained and probated juvenile offenders (mean age = 16.24, SD = 2.11, 29.2% female, 54.9% Caucasian, 40.4% detention, 53.8% smokers). Results indicated that the relationship between institutional discrimination (OR = − 0.10, p = 0.005) and peer discrimination (OR = − 0.11, p = 0.01) were significantly moderated by social support, with a higher likelihood of being a smoker, compared to a non-smoker at higher levels of peer and institutional discrimination. Further, based on a moderated regression analysis, results indicated that youth who experienced greater educational discrimination and lower levels of social support, they were at higher risk of nicotine addiction (b = − 0.09, p = 0.03). Overall, results indicate that varying avenues of social support, such as parent, peer, and teacher support, can mitigate negative effects of discrimination on juvenile offenders, particularly cigarette use. Addressing discrimination in smoking treatment and prevention in juvenile offenders may be of great utility. Future studies should examine the potential mechanisms underlying the discrimination and cigarette use connection in juvenile offenders.
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    The Theory of Planned Behavior and E-cig Use: Impulsive Personality, E-cig Attitudes, and E-cig Use
    (Springer, 2017) Hershberger, Alexandra; Connors, Miranda; Um, Miji; Cyders, Melissa A.; Psychology, School of Science
    The current paper applied the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen and Fishbein 1988) to understand how impulsive personality traits and attitudes concerning e-cig use relate to the likelihood of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use. Seven hundred fourteen participants (mean age = 34.04, SD = 10.89, 48.6% female) completed cross-sectional measures of e-cig use attitudes (CEAC) and the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. A structural path analysis suggested that urgency and deficits in conscientiousness were significantly related to e-cig attitudes (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02; urgency: β = 0.32, p = .001; deficits in conscientiousness: β = −0.48, p < .001). E-cig attitude scores were significantly higher for e-cig users than non-users, β = 0.85, p < .001. There was no significant direct path from impulsive personality traits to e-cig use. Findings provide initial support for a model in which impulsive traits are related to e-cig use through positive e-cig attitudes.
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    The Theory of Planned Behavior and E-cig Use: Impulsive Personality, E-cig Attitudes, and E-cig Use
    (Springer Nature, 2018-04) Hershberger, Alexandra; Connors, Miranda; Um, Miji; Cyders, Melissa A.; Psychology, School of Science
    The current paper applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1988) to understand how impulsive personality traits and attitudes concerning e-cig use relate to the likelihood of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use. Seven hundred and fourteen participants (Mean age = 34.04, SD = 10.89, 48.6% female) completed cross-sectional measures of e-cig use attitudes (CEAC) and the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. A structural path analysis suggested that urgency and deficits in conscientiousness were significantly related to e-cig attitudes (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02; urgency: β = 0.32, p = .001; deficits in conscientiousness: β = -0.48, p < .001). E-cig attitude scores were significantly higher for e-cig users than non-users, β = 0.85, p < .001. There was no significant direct path from impulsive personality traits to e-cig use. Findings provide initial support for a model in which impulsive traits are related to e-cig use through positive e-cig attitudes.
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    The Theory of Planned Behavior and E-cig Use: Sensation Seeking, E-cig Attitudes and E-cig Use
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Connors, Miranda; Hershberger, Alexandra; Um, Miji; Cyders, Melissa A.
    E-cig use is growing in popularity in the United States, but the underlying risk factors for e-cig use are not well understood. Positive attitudes towards e-cigs play an important role in e-cig use and such attitudes are related to current e-cig use, intent to use, and actual future use of e-cigs. Using a Theory of Planned Behavior framework (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1988), the present study investigated how attitudes towards e-cig use and impulsive personality traits (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, sensation seeking) are related to the likelihood of e-cig use. Five hundred and forty-five participants (Mean age = 34.11, SD = 10.96, 48.6% female, 86.2% Caucasian) completed the Comparing E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes questionnaire (CEAC; attitude measure), the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, and an ecig use measure. E-cig users were significantly higher in negative urgency, F(3,542)=3.88, p=.005, and positive urgency, F(3,542) = 2.80, p=.003, traits that represent the tendency to act impulsively in extreme negative and positive emotional states, respectively. Those who use e-cigs also reported significantly higher scores on all the CEAC subscale scores (General Benefits, F(3, 542) = 102.10, p<.001, Addiction/Cessation, F(3,542) = 67.20, p<.001, and Improve Health, F(3, 542) = 125.03, p<.001). A structural path analysis revealed that sensation seeking is significantly related to positive e-cig attitudes (b=0.63, p<.001) and these attitudes were related to a higher likelihood of being an e-cig user (b=0.63, p<.001), after controlling for all other impulsivity traits and demographics. These findings provide initial support for a theoretical model of how impulsivity and attitudes toward e-cig use influence e-cig use and targeting these factors could be prime points of intervention for e-cig use.