Developing a theory-based anti-drug communication campaign for Hispanic children and parents

Substance use underlying behavior: investigation of theta and high frequency oscillations in emotionally relevant situations

High sensitivity of the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) was shown to be one of the strongest predictors of substance use (SU). It was hypothesized that individuals with high BAS sensitivity would experience higher emotional arousal in the reward expectancy situation and lower in the punishment expectancy situation than individuals with low BAS activity. The level of emotional arousal indicated by theta spectral power, and general cortical excitability indicated by high frequency oscillations (HFO), were measured in a sample of young people who filled out Carver and White's Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales. Frontal theta and HFO increased in high BAS scorers during expectation of reward and decreased during expectation of punishment. In low BAS scorers spectral powers of theta and HFO increased, contrary to those for the punishment cue, and decreased for reward cue. Theta-gamma coupling increased in high Drive scorers (those above the median) in reward and in low Drive scorers (those who appeared to be below the median split on this scale) in punishment situation.

"I'm not a druggie": adolescents' ethnicity and (erroneous) beliefs about drug use norms

Interviews were conducted with 67 Black and non-Hispanic White adolescents to gain detailed descriptions of personal and ethnic identities, perceptions of drugs and drug use norms, and reports of their own drug use behavior. In addition, this study examined ways in which ethnic identity and perceptions of cultural norms were linked to adolescent drug use attitudes. Findings imply that perceptions of culturally specific norms may be related to adolescent drug use attitudes and behavior. The authors argue for increased health campaign prevention efforts directed at erroneous perceptions of ethnic cultural norms.