PSY 211 Literature WorksheetThis worksheet will be completed using all three of the articles for your chosen track and will inform the literature review section of your final project submission. Each

This example uses one of the studies referred to in the Module One Overview to give you an idea of how to fill out your own worksheet. Each category requires 2 to 3 sentences, but you may include more if necessary.

Citation of Literature

Bechtold, J., Simpson, T., White, H. R., & Pardini, D. (2015). Chronic adolescent marijuana use as a risk factor for physical and mental health problems in young adult men. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 29(3), 552–563.

Authors’ Claims

In the introduction, the authors speculated that marijuana use during adolescence might cause both physical and psychological problems, like respiratory illnesses or psychotic symptoms, when users become adults (this is the claim). They followed both African American and white male subjects and found that chronic marijuana use did not make them more likely to have health problems in adulthood. In the discussion section, they expressed surprise because the men were smoking marijuana an average of once a week as adolescents and increased their use to three to four times a week by the time they reached ages 20 to 26 (this includes the conclusion and a factor that surprised the researchers).

Influence of Factors on Human Development

The authors were interested in the potential long-term physical and psychological effects of marijuana use on developing male adolescents in Pittsburgh public schools, ensuring a somewhat consistent environment, at least during the school day, and they used both African-American and white subjects to see if race made a difference (influence of physical, social, and environmental factors). They found no differences between the two racial groups, and the environment was relatively consistent in terms of living in Pittsburgh and going to public school there, so it predictably did not have an influence (describe the factors and discuss positive or negative influences).

Historical Significance

Developmental psychologists have historically studied the influence of substances like drugs and alcohol on pregnant women and their babies and on humans at various stages of their lifespans, and this study showed that long-term use, starting in adolescence, might not be cause for worry (study’s effects). Many previous studies have looked at marijuana and its influence prenatally and postnatally. It is likely to continue to be a subject of interest as more states legalize medical or recreational marijuana, which could result in more widespread use (conclusions).

Research Methods and Design

The study used data from a longitudinal study known as the Pittsburgh Youth Study, which used a random sample of seventh-grade boys and followed them through age 26 (study design). Assessments were used periodically to measure factors such as the participants’ alcohol and marijuana use and indicators of physical and psychological problems. Parents also filled out a health questionnaire when the boys were 14 (methods and way in which study was conducted). The design was appropriate, although it might have been good to include a physical examination at certain points rather than relying on assessments, parental reports, and self-reports (was it appropriate, and why or why not?).

Ethics

The Pittsburgh Youth Study began when the participants were minors, but the researchers abided by ethical guidelines by only using boys whose parents consented to their participation after filling out a screening questionnaire (addressing of ethics). About 85% of the parents agreed. The boys were interviewed regularly until they were 26 years old, and the researchers had the boys’ legal guardians provide written consent until the boys reached the age of 18. After age 18, the boys themselves provided the annual consent. The study was conducted ethically because the researched checked in regularly to make sure the parents and guardians still consented to the boys’ participation, and the boys themselves gave continued permission once they reached legal adulthood (Was the study conducted ethically? Why or why not?). Not only does this fit in with historical ethics in the field, but the study was reviewed by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board, which added another layer of oversight (fitting with the view of ethics over the history of human development).