The effect of subjective normative social images of smokers on children's intentions to smoke

This paper expands the literature on peers' influence on a youth's behaviors through the examination of the effect of subjective normative social images of smokers (perceived peers' social images of smokers) on subsequent intentions to smoke and the relation between subjective normative social images and the youth's own social images, or prototypes. Data are from the two oldest cohorts (4th and 5th graders at the first assessment) and from the first five assessments of the Oregon Youth Substance Use Project, an ongoing longitudinal study. Results showed that both children's subjective normative social images and prototypes uniquely predicted intentions to smoke cigarettes at the subsequent assessment. Across time, subjective normative social images were more positive than the youth's own prototypes, and subjective normative social images and children's own prototypes were reciprocally related over time. Results provide support for subjective normative social images as a risk factor for children's smoking and suggest targeting this mechanism in smoking prevention programs for children.