Group Self-Identification and Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: A 1-Year Prospective Study

Document Type

Article

Department

Community and Global Health (CGU)

Publication Date

8-1994

Disciplines

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

Abstract

As an extension of previous work, we analyzed the longitudinal relations between group self-identification and adolescent cigarette smoking. The predictive precedence of cigarette smoking and identification with 6 different types of peer groups was examined. Results indicated that 7th-grade group self-identification predicted 8th-grade cigarette smoking, whereas 7th-grade cigarette smoking did not predict 8th-grade group self-identification. Group self-identification also was compared with 7 other psychosocial variables as predictors of smoking 1 yr later. The pattern of results suggests that group self-identification is about as good a predictor of smoking as other psychosocial variables, and that group self-identification is more than a mere proxy of other psychosocial variables.

Rights Information

© 1994 American Psychological Association

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