Testing a General Theory of Drug Abuse and other Deviant Adaptations

Abstract

I present an outline of the current state of an evolving general theory of deviant behavior, particularly as it applies to the explanation of the onset and continuity or change in level of involvement in illicit drug use. Self-derogation remains a central organizing concept in the theory. The need for self-approval disposes a person to illicit drug use, depending upon the social evaluation of this pattern in the person's membership/reference groups and the history of net self-enhancing/self-devaluing experiences in these groups. The initiation of illicit drug use is a function of circumstances influencing the opportunities for, and the self-evaluative relevance of anticipated consequences of, the illicit drug use. The continuity of the illicit drug use is a function of the self-evaluative relevance of the perceived consequences of initial drug use, and of changes in the circumstances that provide opportunities for and redefine the self-evaluative relevance of normative standards. The results of recent multivariate analyses are described. These results point to the usefulness of the theory both as a guide for research and as a framework for integrating the results of multivariate analyses estimating the onset and continuity or changes in level of involvement in illicit drug use.