SELF-EFFICACY AND MARIJUANA CESSATION - A CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY ANALYSIS

Hypotheses regarding the relationships between self-efficacy for avoid ing marijuana use and theoretically related measures were examined in a sample of 161 men and 51 women who sought treatment aimed at marijua na cessation. Theoretically proposed sources of efficacy judgments sho wed stronger univariate and multivariate relationships with efficacy f or avoiding marijuana use after treatment than before treatment. The c ognitive-behavioral relapse prevention treatment resulted in marginall y greater self-efficacy, compared with a nonbehavioral treatment, but the link between coping skill training and efficacy was ambiguous. Eff icacy contributed incrementally to the prediction of posttreatment mar ijuana use beyond efficacy source variables, but it did not completely mediate the effects of those sources of efficacy judgments. Predictiv e validity was stronger for frequency of posttreatment marijuana use t han for abstinence status. The need for better assessment of the effic acy construct and potential revisions in efficacy theory as applied to substance use are discussed.