Characteristics and social representation of ecstasy in Europe - Irefrea

DISINHIBITION (DIS)Modena, Palma and Utrecht are the samples that score highest on this subscale,there being no differences between them. In addition, the mean score for Palma issignificantly higher than that of Coimbra and Nice, and the mean score for Utrecht issignificantly higher than that for Nice.In the factorial analysis, no interaction appears between the type of consumervariable and country, in other words, the explanation for these differences does not arisefrom the differences between the scores for the different types of consumers. In anycase, we can say that the individuals in Modena, Palma and Utrecht show a greatertendency to hedonism than the individuals in the other cities.BOREDOM SUSCEPTIBILITY (BS)On this subscale, the highest mean scores are obtained by Coimbra and Nice, andare significantly different from the mean scores for Utrecht, Modena and Palma deMallorca. On the other hand, Palma de Mallorca shows a significantly lower mean scorethan the other cities. In fact, in the factorial analysis, Palma scores beneath the overallmean in the non-consumer, occasional consumer and regular consumer groups, whereasCoimbra scores higher.Therefore, we see that overcoming boredom is more important factor for thePortuguese and French samples when explaining their behaviour, than for the othercountries, most of all in comparison with Palma.SENSATION SEEKING SCALE (SSS)Utrecht scores highest on the overall scale, it being significantly different from themean scores of the other cities. It is followed by Modena, Coimbra, Palma de Mallorcaand Nice, in this order, even if the Kruskal Wallis test shows no differences in the meanbetween these cities.On the global scale, the factorial analysis shows that the non-consumer group inUtrecht has a higher mean score than the overall mean for this group, in other words,that the non-consumers in Utrecht are greater sensation seekers than the non-consumersin the other countries. This score by the non-consumers could be the explanation forHolland being so prominent in this analysis.CONCLUSION AND SUMMARYThe Utrecht sample scores high on all the subscales and on the overall scale forSensation Seeking, except on the subscale on boredom susceptibility. Therefore, thecharacteristics of drug use in the Utrecht sample, at least in comparison with the othercountries, may have experience seeking, thrill and adventure seeking and Disinhibitionas important factors, whereas overcoming boredom did not have such weight as in the81