Gary L. Martin

Assessing the Validity of Self-Reported Adolescent Cigarette Smoking

The comparison of adolescent cigarette smoking rates determined by traditional questionnaire, random response questionnaire and carbon monoxide test is reported. Results from 1,160 students in forty classes in seven different schools indicate the random response questionnaire elicited a statistically larger proportion of smokers than the traditional questionnaire. For practical purposes the magnitude of this difference may not warrant the added effort required to administer and interpret random response questionnaire results compared to carefully administered traditional questionnaires. Neither traditional questionnaire nor random response questionnaire results was greatly affected by the bogus pipeline technique.

Six-Month Follow-up Results of a Preventive Alcohol Education Intervention

An alcohol education program was designed to increase the knowledge of alcohols effects upon performance, increase ability of students to refute pro-drinking and driving arguments, and decrease likelihood of complying with pressure to participate in alcohol-related situations. Films, slides, discussion and role playing activities were included in the program administered to 155 ninth grade students in Nebraska. The objectives were measured through written tests administered in a pre, post and six-month follow-up sequence. An ANOVA performed on the posttests indicated that the experimental group scored significantly more favorably on knowledge, refuting arguments, compliance and riding with drinking drivers. A repeated measures ANOVA using the scores of students who received pre, post, and follow-up tests (N=83) showed that the knowledge, refutation and compliance scores of the experimental group continued to be significantly more favorable six months later.

An Evaluation of Health Contracting in the College Health Classroom

Abstract Contracting has been used as a strategy to change behavior in a wide variety of educational and service settings for quite some time. This development has not been ignored by health educators who have begun to use it in many different applications, structuring contingency management for behavioral change. Though the contract method is appealing to many practitioners and is in step with current thinking within the field concerning self-direction and responsibility, the literature does not clearly indicate the effectiveness of contracting nor how it is best used. Using sections of college-level, personal health classes in a quasi-experimental design, this evaluation found that contracting did not significantly help students to change their health behavior given otherwise routine instruction. Problems in using contracting in classroom health instruction, and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of the method are discussed.

The Perceived Effectiveness of Selected Programs and Sources with Respect to Preventing the Use of Dangerous Drugs

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the perceived effectiveness of selected types of programs and resource people which may be utilized in drug abuse education endeavors. A total of 195 university students were included in this study with an approximately equal representation of male and female students. One group received a drug education course and the other served as a control. Each student was asked to rate the perceived effectiveness of selected types of programs and sources with respect to “preventing or stopping the use of dangerous drugs.” Similar findings were evidenced for both groups. Results indicated that certain drug abuse program and individuals were perceived as being more effective than others.

Usage patterns of educational pamphlets and options to improve effectiveness

A telephone survey of all requestors of free and inexpensive educational materials in a one year period revealed that 30 percent of the requestors had distributed all the materials, 33 percent distributed approximately half or more, 25 percent less than half, and 12 percent of the requestors had lost their materials. A detailed analysis of utilization records showed that of 62,450 educational pieces requested, 19,641 had been wasted. This analysis led to a review of agency policy concerning the distribution of educational materials. Policy revisions were based on a review of learning theory, the role of specific objectives in program development, the diffusion and adoption of innovation, social change, and the mechanics of material distribution. This policy reformulation is described in detail.

Inconsistencies in the Evaluation of Selected Alcohol Education Materials.

Two panels of experts were asked to evaluate ten alcohol education pamphlets against five criteria. Variability of the ratings within and between the two panels suggests that such a method of evaluating educational materials is seriously wanting in validity. Suggestions are made as to how the ratings of the expert panels could be made more relevant to the task of selecting appropriate alcohol and drug education materials.