THE PREDISPOSING INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL IDENTITY, SOCIAL COGNITION AND PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of social identity, social cognition, and perceived discrimination on the predisposition to substance abuse among polytechnic students in Oyo State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted and data was gathered using standardized scale of measurement on three Independent variable and one dependent variable. With a sample of 588 students selected from five public and private polytechnics in Oyo state using a multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected using standardized questionnaires assessing social identity, social cognition, perceived discrimination, and predisposition to substance abuse Results from t.test and multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived discrimination significantly predicted predisposition to substance abuse(R = .271; R² = .069; F_(3,584) = 15.39; p<.001). This implies that social identity, social cognition and perceived discrimination jointly accounted for about 6.9% of the observable variance in substance abuse among polytechnic students in Oyo state. Social cognition, particularly beliefs about the positive consequences of substance use, also emerged as a significant predictor (R² =.031, F_(1,586) = 19.62; p <.001)accounting for 3.1% of the variance. While social identity (t = 3.03, df =361; P <.01) implies that student who reported low level of social identity engage in more substance abuse than their counterpart who reported high social identity. Specifically, the relationship between perceived discrimination and substance abuse was stronger for students with lower in-group identification (β = -.18, p < .05). These findings suggest that perceived discrimination and social cognition play significant roles in predisposing polytechnic students to substance abuse. The study highlights the need for interventions addressing both cognitive and social factors to mitigate substance abuse risk in this population.

Keywords: Social cognition, Social identity, Perceived discrimination, Substance abuse, Polytechnics.