Moderators of Peer Social Influence in Adolescent Smoking

Document Type

Article

Department

Community and Global Health (CGU)

Publication Date

4-1992

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Abstract

Few studies have examined the relevance of social-influence-related moderator variables in the genesis of adolescent smoking. In the present study, the interactive effects of moderator variables with social influence (peer smoking and peer approval) on adolescent smoking were examined in a sample of high school students. Potential moderator variables of the effects of social influence were self-efficacy judgments, self-esteem, perceived stress, parental supervision after school, and gender. Results demonstrated that self-efficacy judgments signficantly moderated the predictive effects of social influence on smoking tendencies. These findings are consistent with theories suggesting that certain personality or situational variables act as buffers that either protect the adolescent against social influence or make the adolescent more susceptible to such influence.

Rights Information

© 1992 Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

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