Using Episodes of the Television Show The Simpsons to Generate Discussion and Change Attitudes towards Gay Men and Lesbians

In this paper the authors assess the factors from high school and college experiences and attitudes that might be associated with three forms of deviant behavior considered common on college campuses: academic dishonesty, marijuana consumption, and binge drinking. Students at two state universities participated in the study. Findings indicate that as a set the multiple predictors of these three deviant behaviors differ. Those who are more likely to engage in academic dishonesty are white, took more advanced classes in high school, have lower SAT scores, have less of an academic ethic, take more credit hours, and smoke more marijuana. Binge drinking occurs more often among white males, those with more highly educated parents, those who party more hours per week, and those with less of an academic ethic. Marijuana consumption is more common in our sample among those who consider themselves agnostic or atheistic, those with higher SAT scores, those who volunteer fewer hours per week, those who socialize more and work more hours per week and non-whites after taking the former predictors into account. Implications of the findings for policy and future research are discussed.