Abstract
This study expands our knowledge about the validity of self-reported drug use by examining how gender, race, age, type of drug, and offense seriousness interact to affect the validity of self-reported drug use. This study also provides a conceptual framework that can be used to examine the validity of self-reported drug use. Differences in the validity of self-reported drug use are explained by examining differences in underreporting and overreporting. Differences in underreporting and overreporting are then further examined while controlling for differences in base rates of drug use. As shown, whether one controls for base rates of use may drastically affect estimates of underreporting and overreporting. By using hierarchical loglinear, logit, and logistic regression models with the Drug Use Forecasting data, we show that Black offenders provide less accurate self-reports than White offenders. Black offenders do so because they are more likely to underreport crack/cocaine use than White offenders. This difference, however, disappears once differences in base rates are controlled. A Black offender who tests positive is not more likely to underreport crack/cocaine use than a White offender who tests positive. Black offenders are also more likely to overreport both marijuana and crack/cocaine use relative to White offenders. Contrary to the first, this difference is not attributable to a difference in base rates. Methodological and substantive implications of this distinction are discussed. No differences across gender, age, or offense seriousness were found.
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Notes
Cutoff levels for marijuana testing were changed in 1996 from 100 ng/ml to 50 ng/ml, thus increasing the percentage of positive tests (and decreasing the percentage of negative tests) by 5–7% points (U.S. Department of Justice, 1996). In the end, we must recognize that urine testing is not a “gold” criterion for self-reported drug use. Recent advances in Bayesian statistics allow us examine the validity of self-reports in the absence of a true “gold” criterion (see Joseph et al. 1995). Future research should capitalize on these advances to examine the validity of self-reports when the truth is never known with certainty.
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Acknowledgments
This project is supported by Grant No. 97-IJ-CX-0051 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. We wish to thank Eric Wish and anonymous reviewers for their guidance.
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Rosay, A.B., Najaka, S.S. & Herz, D.C. Differences in the Validity of Self-Reported Drug Use Across Five Factors: Gender, Race, Age, Type of Drug, and Offense Seriousness. J Quant Criminol 23, 41–58 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-006-9018-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-006-9018-7