The majority of marijuana use studies focus on adolescents and attempt to delineate the causal mechanisms driving initial use, though some also attempt to explain continued use ; however, studies of adults who continue to use are relatively rare. This is due, in large part, to the history of funding by federal agencies,which tend to direct research dollars to-wards adolescent drug use prevention strategies and studies, and, if adult research is funded, is focused on sub-stance abusers . Social learning theory offers a reformulation of DA theory; Akers et al. propose the following pattern of social processes leading to deviant behavior:The primary learning mechanism in social behavior is operant conditioning in which behavior is shaped by stimuli which follow, or are consequences of the behavior.Behavior is strengthened through reward and avoidance of punish-mentor weakened by adversive stimuliand loss of reward . Whether deviant or conforming behavior is acquired and persists depends on past and present rewards or punishments for the behavior and the rewards and punishments attached to alternative behavior—differential reinforcement.
In addition, people learn in interaction with significant groups in their lives evaluative definitions of the behavior as good or bad. These definitions are themselves verbal and cognitive behavior which can be directly reinforced and also act as cuestimuli for other behavior. The more individuals define the behavior as good or at least justified rather than as undesirable , the more likely they are to engage in it . Rein forcers of behavior are most often important groups—peer-friendship groups, schools, parents, and churches—but also include nonsocial aspects,vertical grow system such as physical reactions to ingested of drugs. In simple terms, a person associates with peers who engage in deviant behavior, learns to define the behavior favorably, then en-gages in the behavior. Maintaining deviant behavior is often only possible when an individual, on balance, receives more confirmatory messages than approbation regarding the specific act. In the case of drug use, Akers et al. specifically state that: After the initial use, imitation becomes less important while the effects of definitions should continue . It is at this point in the process that the actual consequences of the specific behavior come into play to determine the probability that use will be continued and at what level. These consequences include the actual effects of the substance at first and subsequent use and the actual reactions of others present at the time or who find out about it later, as well as the anticipated reactions of others not present or knowing about the use .
The effect of a particular drug on a user—the subjective experience—is argued to be a powerful determinant of continued use, a point well established in Becker’s and Goode’s respective studies of marijuana users.In opposition to both DA and social learning theories, Hirschi’s social control theory proposes that deviant activity is not a response to learned behavior; rather, it emerges from a lack of social bonds. This approach implicitly assumes that deviance exists in societies and seeks to identify the causes at work in the absence of deviance. In Hirschi’s framework, attachment signifies emotional connections with others, which leads to actions that conform to the expectations of those we care about. Commitment refers to the level of integration an individual feels towards conventional social institutions, roles, and processes, such as education, family, and occupation. Involvement refers to the rational calculation of time available to each person; if someone is working a full time job, raising a family, participating in community activities, and spending time with friends, they are much less likely to engage in deviant behavior simply due to time requirements of leading a “straight” life. Belief describes the intensity of acceptance an individual has towards the dominant values, rules, and norms of their society; the more someone accepts the official rules as right and proper, the less likely they are to commit acts in antagonism towards the status quo.
Social control theory operates under the assumption that individuals understand the consequences of their behavior and will consistently act in a rational way to preserve their feelings, position amongst close associates, and level of integration in society—which is a significant point of contention for some . Studies of marijuana users corroborate the assembled theoretical model offered by Becker, finding that individual attitudes towards the harmfulness of the drug are consistent predictors of both initial and continuing use , and that peer networks provide a key influence in the development and maintenance of these requisite attitudes . The logical extension of this idea is that frequency of use is directly related to the proportion of friends who use and the perceived acceptance of marijuana use among a person’s peer group; I expect that individual marijuana use will increase with the number of friends who use, as well as self-reported peer-group acceptance of marijuana use.