Drugs, Society, & Human Behavior Chapters 1–3 (2026 Updated) – Study Guide, Key Concepts
& Practice Questions
Psychoactive Drugs - correct answer ✔✔Drugs that alter consciousness and affect mood; these
have effect on thoughts, emotions, or behavior
Monitoring the Future Project - correct answer ✔✔Utilizes opportunities in order for ppl to
individually deal with drugs. Gathers data from students 8th to 12th grade and college.
Correlate - correct answer ✔✔a variable that is statistically related to some other variable
Risk factors - correct answer ✔✔correlated with higher rates of drug use
Protective factors - correct answer ✔✔correlated with lower rates of drug use
Risk & Protective factors - correct answer ✔✔influenced by race, gender, & level of education;
personality variables; genetics; religion
Antecedent - correct answer ✔✔a variable that occurs before some event, such as the initiation
of drug use
Gateway theory - correct answer ✔✔drug use begins with cigarettes & alcohol, then to
marijuana, then to harder drugs
Reinforcement - correct answer ✔✔everything else being equal, each time a drug is taken,
probability increases that drug will be taken again; wanting to take drug again to regain same
good feeling
, Laissez-Faire - correct answer ✔✔1800's government view: if the seller wants to sell and the
buyer wants to buy, let them do it; hands off approach
Toxicity - correct answer ✔✔poisonous or dangerous effects of drugs on body
Behavioral toxicity - correct answer ✔✔results from behavioral effects of drug; e.g.
disorientation
Physiological toxicity - correct answer ✔✔diminished bodily functions; e.g. respiratory
suppression
Acute toxicity - correct answer ✔✔short-term effects of a single dose; direct result of drug
being in system; e.g. heroin overdose
Chronic toxicity - correct answer ✔✔long-term effects from repeated use of a drug; can be
present even after drug leaves system; e.g. lung cancer from smoking
DAWN - correct answer ✔✔Drug Abuse Warning Network; system for collecting data on drug-
related ER deaths.
Blood-borne diseases - correct answer ✔✔HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physical or psychological desire to continue drug use
Tolerance - correct answer ✔✔reduced effect of a drug after repeated use resulting in needing
increased dose
Withdrawal syndrome - correct answer ✔✔due to physical dependence: a consistent set of
symptoms that appears after discontinuing use of a drug
& Practice Questions
Psychoactive Drugs - correct answer ✔✔Drugs that alter consciousness and affect mood; these
have effect on thoughts, emotions, or behavior
Monitoring the Future Project - correct answer ✔✔Utilizes opportunities in order for ppl to
individually deal with drugs. Gathers data from students 8th to 12th grade and college.
Correlate - correct answer ✔✔a variable that is statistically related to some other variable
Risk factors - correct answer ✔✔correlated with higher rates of drug use
Protective factors - correct answer ✔✔correlated with lower rates of drug use
Risk & Protective factors - correct answer ✔✔influenced by race, gender, & level of education;
personality variables; genetics; religion
Antecedent - correct answer ✔✔a variable that occurs before some event, such as the initiation
of drug use
Gateway theory - correct answer ✔✔drug use begins with cigarettes & alcohol, then to
marijuana, then to harder drugs
Reinforcement - correct answer ✔✔everything else being equal, each time a drug is taken,
probability increases that drug will be taken again; wanting to take drug again to regain same
good feeling
, Laissez-Faire - correct answer ✔✔1800's government view: if the seller wants to sell and the
buyer wants to buy, let them do it; hands off approach
Toxicity - correct answer ✔✔poisonous or dangerous effects of drugs on body
Behavioral toxicity - correct answer ✔✔results from behavioral effects of drug; e.g.
disorientation
Physiological toxicity - correct answer ✔✔diminished bodily functions; e.g. respiratory
suppression
Acute toxicity - correct answer ✔✔short-term effects of a single dose; direct result of drug
being in system; e.g. heroin overdose
Chronic toxicity - correct answer ✔✔long-term effects from repeated use of a drug; can be
present even after drug leaves system; e.g. lung cancer from smoking
DAWN - correct answer ✔✔Drug Abuse Warning Network; system for collecting data on drug-
related ER deaths.
Blood-borne diseases - correct answer ✔✔HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physical or psychological desire to continue drug use
Tolerance - correct answer ✔✔reduced effect of a drug after repeated use resulting in needing
increased dose
Withdrawal syndrome - correct answer ✔✔due to physical dependence: a consistent set of
symptoms that appears after discontinuing use of a drug
