Family Communication Patterns, Rebelliousness, and Adolescent Reactions to Anti-Drug PSAs.

A study investigated the proposition that the ability of family communication patterns (FCP) and related measures to predict reactions to anti-drug messages is in part contingent on adolescent rebelliousness. Fifty-one adolescents (ages 15-18) in high school health classes saw six anti-drug PSAs, and indicated the extent to which they considered the messages believable and likely to persuade them and people they knew. Respondents were blocked with respect to revised FCP, rebelliousness, and substance abuse. As predicted, rebellious adolescents from conformity-oriented families considered the messages relatively less believable, and the non-rebellious adolescents from conformity-oriented families considered the messages relatively more believable. No effects on perceived message persuasiveness were found, nor were predicted relationships between conversation-orientation and extent of drug use and assessments of believability and persuasiveness statistically significant. (One table of data is included. Contains 27 references. (Author/RS)