Digital Commons Network^™

Research on the effects of playing video games has been limited by a preoccupation with possible negative repercussions. Nevertheless, research has shown that video games can have positive effects on young players' social lives. The existing body of research, however, has largely ignored the more computer-related aspects of video game play and its effects. This study provides empirical evidence to support theoretical arguments about the relationship between playing video games and computers. The type of scientific thinking encouraged by video games and the technological abilities needed to play video games is suggested to result in an increase in players’ confidence …

Incentivizing survey participation through the use of cash or other rewards has often been used to encourage participation. This is often done with the hopes of increasing response rates and, therefore, representativeness of the responding sample as well. The effectiveness of incentives has generally been shown to be positive, but results have been mixed for conditional incentives and for online surveys. Using an experimental design, this study uses a random sample of undergraduate students to estimate group differences, incorporating both official and self-report data. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three different groups with varying incentives of five dollars, …

The concern over the nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has increased in recent years, as the public and substance use experts become increasingly aware of the high prevalence of such prescription drug use. Despite increased research in this area, little research has focused on the motivations for NMUPD. This is a noteworthy limitation, as recreational users may be quite different from those who are using prescription drugs without a prescription to treat a medical illness/condition. The present study uses data from over 11,000 eleventh grade students to model the predictors of NMUPD by motivation for using. Results indicate that …

Background: Research has suggested that sexual minority youth are more likely to experience a number of behavioral and health-related risk factors due to their exposure to negative attitudes and beliefs about sexual minorities. Few studies, however, have examined the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among sexual minority youth. With self-cutting and suicidal ideation common in middle and high schools, understanding the antecedents and correlates of such behavior may help identify troubled students and initiate preventative measures.

Methods: Bivariate probit regression analyses are performed using data from 7,326 high school students collected via the Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Results: Results …