Date of Award
5-2013
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Advisor/Committee Chair
Laurie Beth Feldman
Committee Member
Mitchell Earleywine
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate two problems: one clinical and one methodological. The first is whether there is a connection between drug use, and specifically cannabis use, and psychosis. Previous research on the subject has provided mixed results. Van Os et al. (2002) and Arseneault et al. (2002) both found that cannabis use predicted the onset of psychosis. Van Dam, Earleywine, & DiGiacomo (2008) found that the use of other drugs was a better predictor of psychosis than cannabis alone. The second problem involves how to maximize honesty when people answer questions regarding their own drug use. Self-report bias is a major issue for research investigating sensitive topics. Researchers have tried various methods for combating the problem. In this paper, the method used by John, Acquisti, & Loewenstein (2010) will be applied, for the first time, to a questionnaire asking about participants’ drug habits. This kind of research is essential for understanding how drug use affects the brain. Further, it opens up a way for future researchers to obtain honest answers about drug use.
Recommended Citation
Grady, Lauren, "Connection Between Cannabis Use and Psychosis and the Direct Vs. Indirect Form of Inquiry to Combat Self-Report Bias" (2013). Psychology. 15.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_psych/15