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Heterogeneous peer effects on marijuana use: Evidence from a natural experiment
Li, Yi1; Guo, Guang2,3,4
2020-05
Source PublicationSocial Science and Medicine
ABS Journal Level4
ISSN0277-9536
Volume252Pages:112907
Abstract

Causal peer influence on marijuana use is difficult to identify, largely due to selection—marijuana users tend to select marijuana users to be friends. This study takes advantage of a natural experiment of randomly assigned college roommates (n = 1953) in the United States to investigate peer influence on marijuana use. The randomized roommate assignment eliminates selection bias. Compared to behaviors such as drinking and smoking, marijuana use is less legally and socially acceptable. Therefore, peer influence on marijuana use may not be pervasive. To identify the potential peer effects, we considered both heterogeneity in respondents and heterogeneity in peers. We found that peer influence depended on respondent's predisposition to marijuana use. Results showed that peer effects only existed among those who used marijuana before college. For respondents who did not use marijuana before college, monthly marijuana use in college was close to zero and no peer effect was found. Further analysis revealed that marijuana use was contingent on roommate's history of marijuana use. For respondents who used marijuana before college, their college marijuana use decreased substantially if they were assigned roommates who desisted from using marijuana (i.e., used marijuana before college but stopped using in college) than if they were assigned roommates who never used marijuana, always used, or started using after entering college.

KeywordUnited States Natural Experiment Peer Influence Marijuana Desisters
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112907
URLView the original
Indexed BySCIE ; SSCI
Language英語English
WOS Research AreaPublic, Environmental & Occupational Health ; Biomedical Social Sciences
WOS SubjectPublic, Environmental & Occupational Health ; Social Sciences, Biomedical
WOS IDWOS:000528209100002
PublisherPERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND
Scopus ID2-s2.0-85082702349
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Citation statistics
Document TypeJournal article
CollectionDEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
Corresponding AuthorLi, Yi
Affiliation1.Department of Sociology, University of Macau, China
2.Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
3.Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
4.Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
First Author AffilicationUniversity of Macau
Corresponding Author AffilicationUniversity of Macau
Recommended Citation
GB/T 7714
Li, Yi,Guo, Guang. Heterogeneous peer effects on marijuana use: Evidence from a natural experiment[J]. Social Science and Medicine, 2020, 252, 112907.
APA Li, Yi., & Guo, Guang (2020). Heterogeneous peer effects on marijuana use: Evidence from a natural experiment. Social Science and Medicine, 252, 112907.
MLA Li, Yi,et al."Heterogeneous peer effects on marijuana use: Evidence from a natural experiment".Social Science and Medicine 252(2020):112907.
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