When it comes to measuring and analyzing the extent of drug problems … there is an abundance of numbers, but the glass of insight is, at best, half full. (Caulkins, 2000, p. 433)
To assess possible validity problems associated with self-reported drug use, drug use forecasting (DUF) data collected in 1995 from the Birmingham (AL) catchment area were used to examine the statistical correlates of arrestees misreporting their drug use by comparing self-reported drug use involving (1) marijuana, (2) cocaine, and (3) both cocaine and marijuana with results of urinalysis tests performed on the arrestees. We used the social desirability theory to explain why some arrestees misreported using drugs while others did not. Multivariate analyses revealed, as predicted by the theory, differences between the two groups based on drugs consumed and personal, legal, and other factors. Our results have implications for the validity of larger-scale self-reported estimates of the extent and nature of drug use in the U.S. that must be addressed before realistic policy choices can occur.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArnoldH.J.FeldmanD.C.1981Social desirability response bias in self-report choice situations. Academy of Management Journal,24 (2), 377–85
2.
BaileyF.G.1991The prevalence of deceit.New York: Cornell University Press
3.
BelliR.F.TraugottM.W.YoungM.McGonagleK.A.1999Reducing vote overreporting in surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly,63, 90–108
4.
BokS.1978Lying: Moral choice in public and private life.New York: Pantheon Books
5.
CaulkinsJ.2000Measurement and analysis of drug problems and drug control efforts. In DuffeeD. (Ed.), Criminal justice 2000: Measurement and analysis of crime and justice (vol. 4) (pp. 391–449). Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
EdwardsA.L.1953The relationship between the judged desirability of a trait and the probability that the trait will be endorsed. Journal of Applied Psychology37, 90–03
9.
EdwardsA.L.1957The social desirability variable in personality assessment and research.New York: Dryden
10.
FalckR.SiegalH.A.ForneyM.A.WangJ.CarlsonR.G.1992The validity of drug users self-reported use of opiates and cocaine. Journal of Drug Issues,22, 823–832
11.
GibbonsD.1979The criminological enterprise: Theories and perspectives.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
12.
HarrelM.1997The validity of self-reported drug use data: The accuracy of responses on confidential self-administered answer sheets. In HarrisonL.HughesA. (Eds.), The validity of self-reported drug use: Improving the accuracy of survey estimates (pp. 37–58). Research Monograph 167. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse
13.
HarrisonL.1995The validity of self-reported data on drug use. The Journal of Drug Issues,25, 91–111
14.
HserY.1993Data sources: Problems and issues. Journal of Drug Issues,23, 217–228
15.
HuizengaD.ElliottD.S.1986Reassessing the reliability and validity of self-report delinquent measures. Journal of Quantitative Criminology,2, 293–327
16.
JohnstonL.D.O'MalleyP.M.BachmanJ.G.1988Drug use among high school seniors, college students, and young adults, 1975–1990, Volume II: College students and young adults. (DHHS Publication no. 91–1835). Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse
17.
JohnstonL.D.BachmanJ.G.O'MalleyP.M.1996Monitoring the future: Questionnaire responses from the nation's high school seniors, 1995.Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan. Institute for Social Research
18.
JohnstonL.D.O'MalleyP.M.BachmanJ.G.1999National survey results on drug use from the Monitoring the Future study, 1975–1998: Volume I, secondary school students and Volume II, college students and young adults (NIH Publication Nos. 99–4660 and 99–4661). Washington, DC: United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1999
19.
KatzC.M.WebbV.J.GartinP.R.MarshallC.E.1997The validity of self-reported marijuana and cocaine use. Journal of Criminal Justice,25, 31–41
20.
KimJ.Y.FendrichM.WislarJ.S.2000The validity of juvenile arrestees' drug use reporting: A gender comparison. The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency,37, 419–432
21.
LienerI.1966Organic and biological chemistry.New York: Roland Press
22.
LusaneC.1990Racism and the drug crisis. In GainesL.K.KraskaP.B. (Eds.), Drugs, crime, and justice (pp. 35–66). Prsopect Heights, IL: Waveland
23.
MaguraS.KangS.1997The validity of self-reported cocaine use in two high-risk populations. In HarrisonL.HughesA. (Eds.), The validity of self-reported drug use: Improving the accuracy of survey estimates (pp. 227–246) (Research Monograph 167). Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse
24.
McElrathK.DunhamR.CromwellP.1995Validity of self-reported cocaine and opiate use among arrestees in five cities. Journal of Criminal Justice,23, 531–540
25.
McNagnyS.E.ParkerR.M.1992High prevalence of recent cocaine use and the unreliability of patient self-report in an inner-city walk-in clinic. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Feb.26,267, 1106–8
26.
MieczkowskiT.1990The accuracy of self-reported drug use: An evaluation and analysis of new data. In WeisheitR. (Ed.), Drugs, crime and the criminal justice system (pp. 58–72). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson
27.
MieczkowskiT.LandressH.J.NewelR.ColettiS.D.1991The concordance of drug use indicators: Urine, hair, and self-report in an arrestee population. Report to the National Institute of Justice. Contract No. 90-IJ-CX-0023
28.
National Institute of Justice1995Drug use forecasting: Annual report.Washington, DC: Government Printing Office
29.
National Institute of Justice1996Drug use forecasting: Annual report.Washington, DC: Government Printing Office
PresserS.TraugottM.1992Little white lies and social science models. Public Opinion Quarterly,56, 77–86
34.
PresserS.StinsonL.1998Data collection mode and social desirability bias in self-reported religious attendance. American Sociological Review,63, 137–145
35.
RobbinsC.ClaytonR.R.1989Gender-related differences in psychoactive drug use among older adults. Journal of Drug Issues,19, 207–219
36.
RosenfeldR.DeckerS.1993Discrepant values, correlated measures: Cross-city and longitudinal comparisons of self-reports and urine tests of cocaine use among arrestees. Journal of Criminal Justice,21, 223–230
37.
SwadiH.1990Validating and improving the validity of self-reports in adolescent substance misuse surveys. Journal of Drug Issues,20, 473–486
38.
TheriaultS.W.1998The new old-fashioned girl: effects of gender and social desirability on reported gender-role ideology. Sex Roles, 39 (1–2), 97–113
39.
ThomasK.W.KilmannR.H.1975The social desirability variable in organizational research: An alternative explanation for reported findings. The Academy of Management Journal, 18, (4), 741–752
40.
ThornberryT.P.KrohnM.D.2000The self-report method for measuring delinquency and crime. In DuffeeD. (Ed.), Criminal justice 2000: Measurement and analysis of crime and justice (pp. 33–83). Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
41.
WalkerS.1994Sense and nonsense about crime and drugs (3rd ed.). California: Wadsworth
42.
WishE. D.HoffmanJ.A.NemesS.1997The validity of self-reports of drug use at treatment admissions and follow-up: Comparisons with urinalysis and hair assays. In HarrisonL.HughesA. (Eds.), The validity of self-reported drug use: Improving the accuracy of survey Estimates (pp. 227–246) Research Monograph 167. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse
43.
WolfgangM.E.FiglioR.M.TracyP.E.SingerS.I.1985The national survey of crime severity. (Report No. 96017). Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice Office of Justice Statistics
44.
ZerbeW.J.PaulhusD.L.1987Socially desirable responding in organization behavior: A reconception. Academy of Management Review, 12, (2), 250–264
