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This project was completed by the Cross-cultural Addictions Study Team (CAST), which includes the following investigators (in alphabetical order): Adrian J. Bravo, University of New Mexico, USA (Coordinating PI); James M. Henson, Old Dominion University, USA; Manuel I. Ibáñez, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, Spain; Laura Mezquita, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, Spain; Generós Ortet, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, Spain; Matthew R. Pearson, University of New Mexico, USA; Angelina Pilatti, National University of Cordoba, Argentina; Mark A. Prince, Colorado State University, USA; Jennifer P. Read, University at Buffalo, USA; Hendrik G. Roozen, University of New Mexico, USA; Paul Ruiz, Universidad de la República, Uruguay. Marijuana internalized norms, measured by the Perceived Importance of Marijuana to the College Experience Scale (PIMCES; 8 items), has been found to be distinct from marijuana descriptive/injunctive norms and to be a unique robust predictor of marijuana-related outcomes among college students, yet the role of these beliefs has not been studied outside the U.S. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the present work examined the level of measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) of the PIMCES across five different countries with distinct marijuana-related regulations (i.e., U.S., Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, and the Netherlands), sex, and marijuana user status among college students (n = 3424) recruited between September 2017 and January 2018. To make valid comparisons across groups, metric invariance is needed to compare correlations and scalar invariance is needed to compare latent means. We found strong measurement invariance (i.e., scalar invariance) for the PIMCES across countries, across males and females, and across marijuana users and non-users. College students in the U.S. reported the highest levels of marijuana internalized norms compared to college students from all other countries. As expected, males and marijuana users showed significantly higher scores on the PIMCES than females and non-users, respectively. Bivariate correlations between PIMCES scores and other marijuana-related variables were remarkably similar across males and females, though differences across countries warrant further exploration. Taken together, the degree to which college students view marijuana use to be an integral part of the college experience may be an important target for college student marijuana interventions across various countries/cultures.

Objectives: The present study examined (both cross-sectionally and prospectively) the mediational role of college alcohol beliefs in the relationship between impulsivity-related traits and alcohol outcomes (i.e., alcohol use and negative consequences) among college student drinkers from the United States (U.S.), Spain, and Argentina. Method: A sample of 1429 (U.S. = 733, Spain = 292, Argentina = 404) drinkers (at least one drinking episode within the previous month) completed the baseline survey, and 242 drinkers completed the follow-up. To test study aims, a cross-sectional model was first employed to examine whether the proposed double-mediated paths (i.e., each dimension of impulsivity → college alcohol beliefs → alcohol use → negative alcohol-related consequences) extends across samples with different cultural backgrounds (i.e., structural invariance testing). A longitudinal model was then conducted to assess if college alcohol beliefs prospectively mediate the associations between trait impulsivity and alcohol outcomes. Results: College alcohol beliefs were concurrently and prospectively associated with both greater alcohol use and increased number of negative alcohol-related consequences. These internalized beliefs about college student drinking culture significantly mediated the effects of several distinct impulsivity-related traits on alcohol-related outcomes including urgency (positive and negative), sensation seeking, and perseverance. These findings were invariant across gender and across three countries (Argentina, Spain, and the U.S.). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the modulatory role of cognitive factors on problematic alcohol use among college students with different cultural backgrounds. Our results suggest that, despite the cultural differences exhibited by these three countries, the unique and mediational effects of college alcohol beliefs appear relatively universal.