Abstract
Concern over substance use, including alcohol, marijuana, and amphetamines, among college students remains high. Substance use on campus is associated with a seemingly endless list of negative outcomes including decreased academic performance, inhibited cognitive functions, physical and sexual violence, and even death. Cast against a backdrop of increasing substance use rates over the past few decades, we argue that criminologists must turn towards examining novel—and perhaps unexpected—correlates of substance use to better address this issue. In light of this, the current study draws from labeling theory to explore the linkage between paranormal beliefs, stigma, and substance use among college students. Specifically, we examine how both internalized negative messages about paranormal beliefs and perceived external stigma about paranormal beliefs relate to substance use among college students. Analysis of an original dataset from a midsized university revealed that respondents who internalized a negative label about their paranormal beliefs reported elevated levels of substance use relative to those who did not internalize negative paranormal labels. Second, individuals who reported believing society assigns a negative stigma to paranormal beliefs reported lower levels of substance use. Finally, considering the importance of both internal and external stigma, examination of an interaction between these two constructs indicated that greater levels of external social stigma conditioned a negative relationship between label internalization and substance use. We examine the implications of these findings for substance use among college students.
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A phrase often spoken by Velma in “Scooby-Doo.”
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This research was supported in part by the Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, which has core funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2CHD050959).
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Heitkamp, A., Mowen, T.J. & Boman, J.H. Substance Use On Campus: Exploring the Implications of Paranormal Beliefs. Am J Crim Just 47, 330–351 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-022-09671-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-022-09671-y