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Virginia Tech

Five-factor model, life satisfaction, and drug use refusal self-efficacy: Examination of a mediation and moderation model among individuals in recovery

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

An abundance of literature has shown the five-factor model personality traits can influence current and lifetime substance use. Life satisfaction, although less clearly, has also demonstrated a significant contribution to substance use behaviors and outcomes. Still, little is known about how life satisfaction influences the relationship between personality and substance use measures pertinent to recovery like drug use refusal self-efficacy. The goal of this study is to advance the current literature on substance use by examining the mechanisms influencing the relationship between personality and life satisfaction and drug use refusal self-efficacy for a sample diagnosed with at least one substance use disorder (SUD) and/or alcohol use disorder (AUD). Data was analyzed using deidentified information from a large diverse SUD client pool (n = 348) who were recruited from the general population and from two Midwest SUD treatment centers for a larger parent study. A series of mediation and moderation analyses were tested. The relationships between both neuroticism and conscientiousness with drug use refusal self-efficacy were significantly mediated by life satisfaction. Life satisfaction significantly moderated the relationship between extraversion and drug use refusal self-efficacy. These findings suggest life satisfaction may be a novel modifiable treatment target to reduce negative effects of personality on SUD drug refusal self-efficacy, and that life satisfaction may influence and change how extraversion relates to risks among those in recovery.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
M.S.
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Substance Use
Department dc:contributor.department
Psychology
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2022

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Sturgeon, Taylor R.
Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Cooper, Lee D.
  • Cyders, Melissa
Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Brem, Meagan J.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/111578
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/111578

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Sturgeon, Taylor R.. Five-factor model, life satisfaction, and drug use refusal self-efficacy: Examination of a mediation and moderation model among individuals in recovery. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/111578