CONCEPTS OF DRUGS - DIFFERENCES IN CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE ACROSS GROUPSWITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DRUG EXPERIENCE

Seventy-seven college students varying in degree of drug use experienc e rated the perceived similarities of all possible combinations of 16 drug classes (cigarettes, other tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, barbitura tes, minor and major tranquilizers, amphetamines, amphetamine derivati ves, cocaine, heroin, opiates, hallucinogens, inhalants, PCP, anti-dep ressants). Multi-dimensional scaling (INDSCAL) and network models (PFN ET) indicated that abstainers had only one pharmacological category in volving sedatives/depressants, and that they attached more importance to whether drugs were licit vs. illicit than to whether they were depr essants vs. stimulants. Conceptions became more coherent, differentiat ed and based on pharmacological properties for more experienced drug u sers. In line with previous work, groups with greater experience with drugs had more sophisticated conceptions not only about the drugs they had used, but also about drugs they had not used These findings sugge st that early on in drug behavior sophisticated and interrelated conce pts are developing that should be taken into account when designing in terventions and information campaigns.