The Relation of Change in Hostility and Sociability During Childhood to Substance Use in Mid Adolescence.

In a cohort-sequential longitudinal study (N = 1,075), we related change in children's hostility and sociability assessed from 1(st)-8(th) grade to their use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana assessed from 9(th)-12(th) grade. Children who were more hostile at 1(st) grade, and had higher rates of growth of hostility, used more of all three substances at 9(th) grade, and those with higher initial levels of hostility increased their use of cigarettes and marijuana from 9(th) to 12(th) grade. Children who were more sociable at 1(st) grade used more alcohol at 9(th) grade. These findings demonstrate the significance of individual differences in the development of personality traits for the prediction of later substance use and have implications for prevention.