Skip to main content
Log in

Adolescents' perceptions of the costs and benefits associated with cigarette smoking: Sex differences and peer influence

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions of young adolescents of the costs and benefits of cigarette smoking. These perceptions were examined as a function of the sex of the adolescent and peer smoking habits. The sample consisted of 155 White middle class male and female adolescents, aged 12 to 15. The results indicate that endorsement of particular costs and benefits was related to the respondent's sex and whether or not the respondent had friends who smoked. The girls seemed to view smoking as a sign of rebellion or autonomy, while the boys seemed to view smoking cigarettes as a social coping mechanism. The effect of having friends who smoke was always mediated by the sex of the adolescents. Boys who have friends who smoke have attitudes that appear more conducive to smoking than do boys with nonsmoking friends. This relationship did not hold for girls. The implications for smoking education and intervention are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M. (1970). The prediction of behavior from attitudinal and normative variables.J. Exper. Soc. Psychol. 6: 466–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Cancer Society. (1979).Cigarette Smoking Among Teenagers and Young Women (Published by National Cancer Institute in cooperation with the American Cancer Society. DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 77-1203).

  • Evans, R. I., Rozelle, R. M., Mittlemark, M. B., Hansen, W. B., Bane, H. L., and Havis, J. (1978). Deterring the onset of smoking in children: Knowledge of immediate physiological effects and coping with peer pressure, media pressure and parent modeling.J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 8: 126–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Everitt, B. S. (1977).The Analysis of Contingency Tables Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garell, D. C., Guthrie, A., Hammar, S. L., Heald, F. P., Hofmann, A. D., James, W., Olson, H. L., Shen, J., Tammer. N. M., Thornton, M. L., Nasserman, M. P., and Wolfish, M. G. (1976). A new approach to teenage smoking.Pediatrics 57(4): 465–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanley, J. A., and Robinson, J. C. (1976). Cigarette smoking and the young: A national survey.Cand. Med. Assoc. J. 114: 511–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAlister, A. L., Perry, C., and Maccoby, N. (1979). Adolescent smoking: Onset and prevention.Pediatrics 63: 650–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, S. J., Chassen, L., Presson, C. C., and Olshavsky, R. W. (1979). Social psychological factors in adolescent cigarette smoking. Paper presented at a symposium of the American Psychological Association, New York, September.

  • Smetana, J. G. and Adler, N. E. (1980). Fishbein's value expectancy model: An examination of some assumptions.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 6(1): 89–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surgeon General. (1979).Smoking and Health (DHEW Publication No. (PHS) 79-50066), U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Bethesda, Md.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, T. M. (1971).Summary and Implications of Review of Literature Related to Adolescent Smoking U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Bethesda, Md.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This work was supported in part by the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit as supported by Grant CA - 22453 from the National Cancer Institute, DHHS.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Urberg, K., Robbins, R.L. Adolescents' perceptions of the costs and benefits associated with cigarette smoking: Sex differences and peer influence. J Youth Adolescence 10, 353–361 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088938

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088938

Keywords

Navigation