Effects of gender and motivations on perceptions of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact on college students' perceptions of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) of motivation for use and gender. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were college students (N=695) from 2 universities in different regions of the United States. METHODS: Participants read a vignette describing a college student who used a prescription stimulant for a nonmedical purpose and rated their perception of that individual using a semantic differential. A 2 (participant gender) by 2 (gender of the individual described in the vignette) by 3 (motive for use get high, study, lose weight) design was used. RESULTS: The male who used a stimulant to study was rated significantly less negatively than if he used the stimulant to get high. NMUPS as a study aid was viewed the least negatively overall. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that gender does not, whereas motivation for use does, impact students' perceptions of NMUPS.