Effect of Personal Belief in a Just World on Drug Use in Adolescence

Abstract

This study investigates the association between personal belief in a just world (PBJW), sense of control, and drug use among Dutch adolescents. The study hypothesized that (H1) a stronger PBJW is negatively associated with drug use, (H2) PBJW is positively associated with a sense of control, (H3) sense of control is negatively associated with drug use and (H4) the relation between PBJW and drug use is mediated by a sense of control. Self-report questionnaires were employed to collect data from 515 Dutch adolescents (356 females, 159 males, average age 19.57 years (SD = 2.36)). Subsequently, a multiple linear regression and a mediation analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that PBJW significantly predicted a higher sense of control (β = .95, p < .001), supporting H2. However, neither the direct effect of PBJW on drug use (β = .02, p = 0.671) nor the effect of sense of control on drug use (β = -.03, p = 0.524) were significant. Additionally, the mediation of sense of control (β = .01, p = 0.805) in the relation between PBJW and drug use was not significant, failing to support H1, H3, and H4. The findings suggest that while PBJW enhances adolescents' sense of control, it doesn't reduce drug use, suggesting other factors are more influential for drug use among adolescents. The study highlights the need for future research to explore additional variables and more complex models to better understand the mechanisms behind adolescent drug use.