Film Technique for Assessing Attitudes toward Drug Users

Abstract

A color, sound film depicting five young people discussing drug use was assembled and responses to each of the film characters were assessed by means of five semantic-differential scales. Factor analysis of the twenty-five responses established two scales: General Warmth, which related to all five characters, and Tolerance, which contrasted responses to users vs. non-users. The instrument was used to test participants in three workshops and two regular drug courses (and a non-drug comparison course). General Warmth was very stable in all groups. Tolerance changed significantly in all drug-training groups: the two short workshops showed increases but the longer workshop and the two courses showed decreases (which continued in delayed posttests). The results suggest that initial exposure to drug training increases acceptance of drug use, perhaps by dispelling fearsome myths, but extended training reinstates rejection, perhaps through more realistic understanding of its dangers.