Given the high prevalence of alcohol consumption and marijuana smoking, it may be conceived of normative developmental experience. Although light substance use may be a normative and adaptive behavior, a significant minority experience substance use-related problems. Assessing substance use behavior in association with other normative behaviors may enhance the understanding of this complex behavior.

Personal motivations are ongoing goals that direct behavior. Previous studies indicate that alcohol consumption and marijuana smoking are associated with the perceived utility of use in facilitating achievement of personal strivings (Simons and Carey, 2003). Persons who find substance use as conflicting with the achievement of strivings tend to use those substances at a lesser extent, whilst those perceiving use as facilitating attainment of their strivings use them at higher rates. This may be due to individual differences in the perceptions of costs and benefits of alcohol use and marijuana smoking or due to individual differences in valued goals.

Personal strivings are may be structured into their content. Content categories (Emmons, 1999) include motive dispositions, for instance power, achievement, affiliation and intimacy as well personal growth and self-presentation. Supportive studies show associations with achievement and self-presentation striving. Based on previous studies and their relevance to college students and substance use, four types of strivings are specifically relevant to this group of individuals: interpersonal/intrapersonal, affect regulation, achievement and self-presentation. Alcohol problems have been associated negatively with achievement striving, whereas self-presentation strivings were positively correlated. Alcohol and marijuana are comparable in that both are regulate affect and each may interfere with academic and other achievement goals. Their difference lies in the fact that alcohol is a legal and more socially accepted drug as compared to marijuana. Marijuana, on the other hand, is used more for increasing awareness, creativeness and self-understanding. Consequently, both interpersonal strivings and self-presentation strivings as a whole may be correlated with increased rates of alcohol consumption.

A recent study in the United States examined the relations involving marijuana smoking and alcohol consumption to personal strivings. Participants aged of both sexes 18-22 years completed an assessment of alcohol and marijuana use. Results of the study showed achievement strivings were unrelated to substance use. Conversely, individuals endorsing more affect regulation strivings were positively linked with alcohol use but not marijuana smoking. Lastly, interpersonal goals were associated with higher rates of alcohol consumption and lower rates of marijuana smoking. This study identified substance use associated with varying levels of certain types of personal strivings.

Personal motivations reflect broader strivings and may be considered as variables that guide behavior. The results of the study are consistent with previous research indicating that self-presentation strivings are associated with a higher rate of alcohol-related problems among college students. Correspondingly, interpersonal strivings were associated increased rates of alcohol use, which was not the case for marijuana smoking. This finding indicate that persons who view regulating affect as a principal personal goal use drugs at a higher rate than others. Substance use varies in respect to its relation to higher-order goals. Results of the study contribute to further understanding the role of drug use within the context of the personal strivings that guide behavioral choices.