Implicit cognition, sensation seeking, marijuana use and driving behavior among drug offenders

This research addresses the relative contributions of cognitive and personality constructs in drug use motivation and problem behaviors associated with use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among four factors: Sensation seeking, memory association, marijuana use, and driving under the influence (DUI) in a high-risk population. Gender was also analyzed for its potentially confounding effects. Participants were 166 first- and second-time drug offenders ranging in age from 18 to 50 who were enrolled in a drug diversion education/counseling program in southern California. Results showed that memory association independently predicted marijuana use and mediated the predictive effects of sensation seeking on marijuana use. Memory association, but not sensation seeking, also had a significant indirect effect on DUI, mediated through marijuana use. These findings have important implications for the development of prediction models of drug use and DUI for high-risk populations.