Normative Definitions of Intoxicated States: A Test of Several Sociological Theories

Abstract

Several sociological theories of intoxication propose that positive outcomes (getting “high”) and negative outcomes (“bad trips”) of recreational drug use are influenced by cultural expectations learned through group interaction. Respondents in this study rated the expected probability of various outcomes of marijuana or alcohol intoxication. As predicted, the greater the number of one's friends who use a drug, the lower the expected probability of negative outcomes, even after statistical controls for one's own use and for quantity of personal use are introduced. For marijuana, but not for alcohol, the expected probability of positive outcomes is directly related to the number of friends who use it. The results generally support sociological explanations of intoxicated states, but also point to some pharmacological influences in the case of alcohol.