Sarah Leonard 
University of New Hampshire
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Carolyn Mebert, UNH Department of Psychology
Resiliency, Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, and Substance Use in College Students
Resiliency is defined as a complex process by which individuals exhibit positive behavioral adaptation in the face of adversity or challenging life circumstances. So what makes particular individuals resilient to substance use? This study’s aim is to explore possible underlying factors that could influence resiliency and be another predictor of substance use. This project will issue surveys to college students in order to measure resiliency, locus of control, and self-efficacy in addition to reported substance use. These scores will be analyzed to determine correlations and their predictability of substance use. Preliminary results from summer session participants show that resiliency has a major influence on the effect of other variables in predicting substance use. Future data collection in the fall will enable us to explore these relationships even further.
