Monitoring the Future Survey/Disapproval of Drug Use

Abstract

The Disapproval of Drug Use Scale is a fundamental measure integrated within the longitudinal Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey, a prominent epidemiological study focusing on American youth. Developed by Johnston, O’Malley, and Bachman, this instrument systematically assesses the attitudes of adolescents and young adults concerning the social acceptability and moral judgment associated with various licit and illicit substances. The scale covers a wide range of behaviors, from tobacco and alcohol consumption to the use of highly addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin. The resulting data is critical for tracking shifts in social norms and perceived risks, thereby informing national substance abuse prevention efforts and public health policies.

Keywords

Monitoring the Future Survey, MTF, Disapproval of Drug Use, Adolescent Attitudes, Substance Use Norms, Tobacco, Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol Use, Social Research

Authors

Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Disapproval of Drug Use Scale is to quantify the level of attitudinal opposition toward specific substance use behaviors across a defined population. This measurement provides researchers and policy makers with essential data regarding the normative environment surrounding drug use, which is a powerful predictor of future behavior.

By measuring disapproval across different substances and usage frequencies (e.g., trying once vs. regular use), the scale allows for nuanced analysis of how societal attitudes differentiate between experimental behavior and chronic drug abuse. This information is vital for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other agencies aiming to tailor prevention messages to address specific substance use risks.

Construct

The scale specifically measures the psychological construct of Attitudinal Disapproval toward Substance Use. This construct reflects an individual’s internalized moral or social judgment against engaging in or condoning particular drug-related activities. In the context of behavioral science, strong attitudinal disapproval acts as a protective factor against substance initiation and problematic use.

The items are structured to capture the respondent’s stance on both the specific type of drug (e.g., marijuana, inhalants) and the intensity of involvement (e.g., occasional use versus daily use). This comprehensive approach ensures that the measurement captures the full spectrum of negative attitudes relevant to public health outcomes.

Validity

The Disapproval of Drug Use Scale exhibits strong face validity, as the items directly query disapproval of clearly defined drug use behaviors. Furthermore, extensive research conducted under the MTF framework has established robust construct validity. Disapproval scores consistently demonstrate a significant inverse relationship with self-reported drug prevalence rates, confirming that the scale accurately measures the intended deterrent attitude.

Criterion-related validity is supported by the scale’s use in numerous longitudinal studies, where early adolescent disapproval levels have been shown to predict lower probabilities of subsequent substance dependency or heavy use in adulthood. The scale’s established role within a major national survey lends considerable weight to its overall validity as a measure of social norms regarding substance use.

Reliability

While specific psychometric properties for the isolated scale are detailed in MTF technical reports, the instrument is generally characterized by high reliability. The standardized administration procedure and the large, consistent sample size employed by the Institute for Social Research contribute significantly to the stability of the measure over time. The scale demonstrates acceptable internal consistency across the items measuring disapproval within specific drug categories.

Furthermore, the scale exhibits high test-retest reliability across different waves of the MTF study, indicating that measured changes in disapproval attitudes reflect genuine population shifts rather than transient measurement errors. The consistency in item wording since the survey’s inception ensures reliable comparisons across historical cohorts.

Factor Analysis

Factor analyses conducted on the full set of disapproval items typically suggest a multi-dimensional structure rather than a single unified factor of “drug disapproval.” Common factors extracted include: a general factor for Illicit Drug Disapproval (e.g., crack, heroin), a specific factor for Marijuana Disapproval (often treated separately due to unique trends in perceived risk), and a factor related to Licit Substance Disapproval (alcohol and tobacco). This structure validates the scale’s ability to measure attitudes toward different risk categories independently, reflecting diverse cultural views on various substances.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, attitudinal scale

Format: Fixed-response options (Likert-type or categorical options)

Language Available: Primarily English

Population Group: Non-clinical adolescent and young adult populations

Age Group: Typically 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, and young adults (19-30 years old)

Population Details: Nationally representative samples of secondary school students in the United States, utilizing rigorous sampling methodology.

Test Methodology: Group-administered, paper-and-pencil survey, typically conducted anonymously in classroom settings.

Keywords

Attitudinal Disapproval, Social Norms, Epidemiology, National Survey, Longitudinal Study, Public Health, Prevention Science, University of Michigan

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not Specified

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Dr. Lloyd Johnston, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2321

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Disapproval of Drug Use Scale is a component of the Core Measures Initiative recommended by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). The scale is widely available for research purposes, though proper citation of the MTF study and its authors (Johnston, O’Malley, & Bachman) is required. The source material references the 2001 publication of MTF findings, though the scale itself has been utilized since the survey’s inception in 1975.

The original PDF containing this instrument can be downloaded here: http://vvv.dmhas.state.ct.us/sig/pdf/uconn/core_measures.pdf

Reference’s

• Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., & Bachman, J.G. (2001). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2001: Volume 1, Secondary School Students 2000 (NIH Publication NO. 01-4924) Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Core Measures Initiative Phase I Recommendations (Pages 47-49). Available online at: http://vvv.dmhas.state.ct.us/sig/pdf/uconn/core_measures.pdf

Items of the Monitoring the Future Survey/ Disapproval of Drug Use

The scale asks respondents: Do YOU disapprove of people doing each of the following?

1. Smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day
2. Using smokeless tobacco regularly
3. Trying marijuana once or twice
4. Smoking marijuana occasionally
5. Smoking marijuana regularly
6. Trying cocaine in powder form once or twice
7. Taking cocaine powder occasionally
8. Trying “crack” cocaine once or twice
9. Taking “crack” cocaine occasionally
10. Trying one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage (beer‚ wine‚ liquor)
11. Taking one or two drinks nearly every day
12. ha‎ving five or more drinks once or twice each weekend
13. Sniffing glue‚ gases‚ or sprays once or twice
14. Sniffing glue‚ gases‚ or sprays regularly
15. Trying heroin once or twice without using a needle
16. Trying heroin occasionally without using a needle

Response Options:

• Don’t disapprove
• Disapprove
• Strongly disapprove
• Can’t say or drug unfamiliar