Beneficial or Harmful: Does Peer Marijuana Expectancy Influence Norm Perception and Use Intent

Abstract

According to the theory of social normative, outcome expectation (i.e., one’s innate perception of the expected benefit or consequence of a behavior) may influence the relationship between norm perception and actual substance use. This pattern is especially evident among college students. Additionally, resistance to peer pressure was often found as a moderator in this relationship, indicating those who have more resistance to peer pressure will be less likely to conform to normative influence. As positive portrayals of marijuana use surge in the media and the legality landscape of marijuana use escalates in the United States, the current thesis aims to understand if different media portrayals of marijuana use expectancy is effective in inducing or reducing norm perception of marijuana use and intent to smoke marijuana among college students, and further explore the role of resistance to peer pressure. Using a between-subject experimental design (N = 289), three experimental conditions of outcome expectations (beneficial VS harmful VS mix) and one control condition were administered. The current study did not find any significant difference of norm perception of marijuana use and intent to smoke marijuana across experimental conditions. Nor did resistance to peer pressure function as a moderator of the perception to intent process. However, norm perception of marijuana use was positively associated with intent to smoke marijuana, despite the experimental conditions they received. Partially confirming the theory of social normative influence, the current pilot study sheds light on the value of designing study stimuli that imitates the online information environment college students experience.