EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY.

This study assessed whether or not the initial attitudes and beliefs of a behaviorally homogeneous group can be used as indicators of future smoking behavioro.Ss included seventh graders who classified themselves as never-smokera pn an initial survey and who participated in all three surveys over a 2-year period.-The initial survey consisted of a 44-item attitude-belief form similar to the Likert form..Ss later classified themselves according to their subsequent smoking behavior as either smoker, ex-smoker or never-smoker..An analysis of variance technique was used to determine Whether attitude-belief differences existed among the three 'groupings. Results indicated that female never-smokers who remained never-smokers had more favorable attitudes toward nonsmoking than those who became smokers or ex-smokers..Significant differences for male data were found on the pleasure, influence, and health disease facors.-These results suggest that attitudes and beliefs of initial never-smokers may serve as indic-ators of future behavior..It appears, ais6, that items of an affective rather than a cognitive domain are more useful indicators..(Author/J1