Lower Positive Expectancies Research Articles

Effects of a nicotine warning label and vaping cessation resources on young adults’ perceptions of pro-vaping instagram influencer posts

BackgroundExposure to social media content promoting e-cigarette use (“vaping”) is associated with subsequent tobacco use among young adults. Adding features to pro-vaping Instagram influencer posts, such as a nicotine warning label and vaping cessation resources, could help counteract posts’ negative influence. MethodsYoung adults (N = 2,179; Mage = 22.6 [SD = 0.4]; 53.0 % cisgender women, 45.1 % Hispanic) completed an online experiment in 2021–2022 through an ongoing prospective cohort study. Participants viewed three simulated pro-vaping Instagram influencer posts in a four-group, between-subjects design. Post features differed by experimental condition: “label-only” (nicotine warning label on post), “link-only” (link to vaping cessation resources under post), “L&L” (label and link), or “control” (neither). Participants rated each influencer’s traits (honest, trustworthy, informed, smart, attractive, popular; 0–100 %). After viewing all three posts, participants reported use intentions, susceptibility, positive and negative expectancies, and harm perceptions around the fictitious advertised vaping product. Past-month vapers additionally reported their desire and self-efficacy for quitting. ResultsL&L (versus control and link-only) participants viewed influencers as more honest, trustworthy, and informed. L&L (versus control) participants had lower odds of susceptibility to using the advertised product, lower positive expectancies, and greater negative expectancies. The label and link did not significantly affect participants’ intentions to use the product, perceived harm of the product, or desire or self-efficacy for quitting vaping. ConclusionsProviding a nicotine warning label and link to vaping cessation resources on influencers’ Instagram posts may have the unintended effect of increasing positive perceptions of the influencer. However, they may reduce susceptibility to product use.

Greater loss of face and family honor values are associated with greater positive expectancies and substance abuse among Middle Eastern/Northern African U.S. college students

ABSTRACT Background Traditional cultural orientation is protective against substance use for Asian Americans and Latinos. However, little empirical research has examined traditional cultural values and substance use among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals. MENA cultures tend to emphasize maintaining family honor and personal social integrity, which may influence substance use cognitions and behavior. Objective Test whether loss of face and family honor influenced risky alcohol/cannabis use via positive expectancies. We expected that greater loss of face and family honor values would predict lower positive expectancies and risky substance use. Methods MENA college students (N = 246; 58.6% women) were recruited via Qualtrics Panels and completed an online survey. We tested path models, estimating direct and indirect effects of cultural predictors, adjusting for age, gender, generation status, marital status, and living situation. Substance use was modeled as risk categories (low- versus high-risk) and as count-type outcomes using zero-inflated models. Results Greater family honor values predicted higher positive alcohol and cannabis expectancies (b = .24-.32, p < .001). Greater loss of face values also predicted more positive expectancies (b = .22-.24, p < .001). Mediation analysis generally indicated that cultural factors were indirectly associated with risky use via positive expectancies. Conclusion MENA college students’ greater family honor and loss of face values are associated with greater alcohol and cannabis use, in part through positive expectancies. Cultural pressures may enhance the perceived benefits of alcohol and cannabis use. Substance use intervention programs should integrate MENA college students, and address family honor and loss of face as culturally-salient risk indices.

Alcohol Expectancies Moderate the Association Between School Connectedness and Alcohol Consumption

In this study, we investigate the moderated association of school connectedness and alcohol expectancies with adolescent drinking. Two large community samples were obtained with 2 repeated attempted censuses of all students attending a large suburban school district. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed substance use, alcohol expectancies, and school connectedness. We used logistic regression analyses on the training sample and confirmed with Bayesian test intervals with the test sample. Party related alcohol expectancies and school connectedness interacted in their explanatory association with recent drinking and binging, such that school connectedness had a protective association only for youth with lower positive expectancies. These findings were the result of pre-planned exploratory analysis, which were confirmed with out-of-sample test data. The potential benefits for student health behaviors resulting from improved school connectedness may be dependent on at least one dimension of alcohol expectancies, at the individual level.