Examination of Expectancies and Personality Traits on Willingness to Use E-Cigarettes in Varied College Party Environments

While electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has been increasing in young adults in the U.S., the situations in which college students use e-cigarettes remains understudied. The present study utilized qualitative interview and party vignettes to determine whether certain party environments led to greater e-cigarette use than others, and how students’ personality traits and substance expectancies might inform their decisions. Participants were found to be more likely to use e-cigarettes when the vignette included alcohol than in vignettes that included only e-cigarettes. However, participants were more likely to use alcohol than e-cigarettes in all conditions, and they perceived e-cigarettes to be more harmful than alcohol. These results run contrary to literature on e-cigarette use among young adults, but situations in which e-cigarettes are used on college campuses should be further studied. Additionally, methods other than written vignettes should be used to explore the substances used at college parties and the factors that drive substance use at these parties.