Bio


Devin McCauley earned his PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University in 2021, where his research applied intensive longitudinal methods and time-varying effect modeling to investigate family, school, and peer influences on adolescent mental health and well-being. A second focus of his research applies a developmental framework in study of adolescent e-cigarette use. He is particularly interested in identifying sociodemographic (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual identity) disparities in risk factors for e-cigarette use. His long-term goal is to inform, develop, and evaluate family and school-based prevention programs which support healthy adolescent development and address health disparities related to e-cigarette use.

Honors & Awards


  • Postdoctoral Award, Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) (7/2024)
  • Community Engaged Research to Promote Health Equity (CERPHE) Pilot Trainee Grant, Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) (7/2024)
  • Postdoctoral Support Award, Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) (1/2024)

Stanford Advisors


Lab Affiliations


All Publications


  • Perceptions of Harm and Addictiveness for Nicotine Products, THC e-Cigarettes, and e-Cigarettes with Other Ingredients Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults. Substance use & misuse Liu, J., McCauley, D., Gaiha, S. M., Halpern-Felsher, B. 2024: 1-11

    Abstract

    Perceptions of health harms and addictiveness related to nicotine products, THC e-cigarettes, and e-cigarettes with other ingredients are an important predictor of use. This study examined differences in perceived harm and addiction across such products among adolescents, young adults, and adults.We conducted a cross-sectional survey (N = 6,131, ages 13-40 years old) in which participants reported perceived harm and addictiveness for 11 products (cigarettes, disposable nicotine e-cigarettes, pod-based nicotine e-cigarettes, other nicotine e-cigarettes, THC e-cigarettes, e-cigarettes with other ingredients, nicotine pouches, nicotine lozenges, nicotine gums, nicotine tablets, nicotine toothpicks). We applied adjusted regression models and conducted pairwise comparisons between age groups (13-17, 18-20, 21-25, and 26-40) and product use status (never, ever, and past-30-day use), adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and financial comfort.Overall, participants in younger age groups perceived products to be more harmful and addictive than those in older age groups, with the exception of e-cigarettes with other ingredients. For all products, participants who never used perceived each product to be more harmful than those who ever used. For all products, participants who used the products in the past 30-days had lower perceived harm and addictiveness compared to never and ever use. Certain sociodemographic groups, such as people who identify as LGBTQ+, Non-Hispanic Black, or Hispanic, had lower perceived harm and addictiveness for most products.Efforts should be made to educate all age groups and minoritized groups on harms and addictiveness of all nicotine products, THC e-cigarettes, and e-cigarettes with other ingredients.

    View details for DOI 10.1080/10826084.2024.2403105

    View details for PubMedID 39289177

  • Products and patterns through which adolescents, young adults, and adults initiate co-use of tobacco and cannabis. Addictive behaviors McCauley, D. M., Liu, J., Gaiha, S. M., Halpern-Felsher, B. 2024; 158: 108105

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Co-use of tobacco and cannabis is common. However, few studies have examined the temporal sequencing through which individuals initiate co-use, and how these patterns vary across age. This study addresses this gap by examining the specific products and temporal sequencing through which adolescents, young adults, and adults initiate co-use of tobacco and cannabis. Among adolescents, young adults, and adults who co-used tobacco and cannabis in the past 30days, we examined (a) whether tobacco or cannabis was used first in their lifetime and (b) which specific tobacco or cannabis product (e.g., nicotine e-cigarettes, cannabis edibles) was the first used.METHODS: Data were from a cross-sectional national survey (N=6,131, 13-40years old) in which participants reported ever use, past-30-day-use, and order of use for 17 different tobacco and cannabis products. Results were analyzed overall and by age group (13-20; 21-24; 25-40).RESULTS: 38.4% of participants reported use of both tobacco and cannabis in the past 30days. Among these participants, 70.9% used tobacco first in their lifetime (66.6%<21; 71.7% 21-24; 76.6%>24). Approximately 60% of participants who initiated co-use with tobacco reported nicotine e-cigarettes as their first tobacco product (63.3%<21; 66.7% 21-24; 49.6%>24).CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants who used both tobacco and cannabis used tobacco first in their lifetime, and nicotine e-cigarettes were the most common form of tobacco initiation, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Findings emphasize the need for co-use prevention programs to target common products of initiation.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108105

    View details for PubMedID 39047653

  • Sociodemographic differences in use of nicotine, cannabis, and non-nicotine E-cigarette devices. Drug and alcohol dependence McCauley, D. M., Baiocchi, M., Gaiha, S. M., Halpern-Felsher, B. 2023; 255: 111061

    Abstract

    Sociodemographic differences in e-cigarette use have been documented; however, disparities in use of specific e-cigarette types with various ingredients have yet to be thoroughly investigated. This study examines ever- and past-30-day-use of nicotine, cannabis, and non-nicotine e-cigarette device types by sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and financial comfort.Data were drawn from a 2021 national cross-sectional survey of adolescents, young adults, and adults (N = 6131, ages 13-40 years old). Participants reported ever and past-30-day-use of (1) disposable nicotine e-cigarettes, (2) pod/cartridge-based nicotine e-cigarettes, (3) "other" nicotine e-cigarettes, (4) non-nicotine e-cigarettes, (5) e-cigarettes with THC, and (6) e-cigarettes with CBD. We constructed summary tables for each e-cigarette device type in which percentages of ever and past-30-day-use were calculated by birth year category and sociodemographic variables: (a) sex, (b) sexual orientation, (c) race/ethnicity, and (d) financial comfort.Females born between 1996 and 2008 reported higher rates of past-30-day disposable e-cigarette use relative to males (females 26.4%; males 22.4%). Compared to their heterosexual counterparts, LGBTQ+ participants reported higher overall rates of past-30-day-use for disposable (LGBTQ+ 27.9%; Heterosexual 23.8%), THC (LGBTQ+ 30.8%; Heterosexual 24.1%), and CBD e-cigarettes (LGBTQ+ 20.0%; Heterosexual 16.9%). Hispanic/Latino participants generally reported higher rates of past-30-day-use across device types relative to those identifying as Black or White non-Hispanic, particularly disposable nicotine e-cigarettes.Findings highlight sociodemographic disparities in e-cigarette use, though differences varied based on e-cigarette device type and participant birth year category. Tailored preventive efforts may be necessary to mitigate e-cigarette use among populations at highest risk.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111061

    View details for PubMedID 38134543

  • Effects of a short school-based vaping prevention program for high school students. Preventive medicine reports McCauley, D. M., Baiocchi, M., Cruse, S., Halpern-Felsher, B. 2023; 33: 102184

    Abstract

    Educational programs that address adolescents' misperceptions of e-cigarette harms and benefits and increase refusal skills play an important role in preventing initiation and use. This study evaluates changes in adolescents' e-cigarette perceptions, knowledge, refusal skills, and intentions to use following a real-world implementation of a school-based vaping-prevention curriculum. Study participants were 357 9th-12th grade students from one high school in Kentucky, United States who participated in a 60-minute vaping prevention curriculum from the Stanford REACH Lab's Tobacco Prevention Toolkit. Participants completed pre- and post-program assessments regarding their e-cigarette knowledge, perceptions, refusal skills, and intentions to use e-cigarettes. Matched paired t-tests and McNemar tests of paired proportions were applied to assess changes in study outcomes. Following the curriculum, participants indicated statistically significant changes on all 15 survey items related to e-cigarette perceptions (p's < 0.05). Participants demonstrated improved knowledge that e-cigarettes deliver nicotine in the form of an aerosol (p <.001), reported that if a friend offered them a vape it would be easier to say no (p <.001), and indicated they would be less likely to take the vape (p <.001) after receiving the curriculum. Other survey items related to knowledge, refusal skills, and intentions did not demonstrate significant changes. Overall, participation in a single session vaping-prevention curriculum was associated with several positive changes in high school students' e-cigarettes knowledge, perceptions, refusal skills, and intentions. Future evaluations should examine how such changes affect long-term trajectories of e-cigarette use.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102184

    View details for PubMedID 37223577

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10201847

  • DEVELOPMENTAL AND RACIAL/ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN USE OF NICOTINE, NON-NICOTINE, AND THC E-CIGARETTES McCauley, D., Gaiha, S. M., Halpern-Felsher, B. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2023: S95
  • Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults Continue to Use E-Cigarette Devices and Flavors Two Years after FDA Discretionary Enforcement. International journal of environmental research and public health McCauley, D. M., Gaiha, S. M., Lempert, L. K., Halpern-Felsher, B. 2022; 19 (14)

    Abstract

    This study assesses the use of e-cigarette devices and flavors using a large, cross-sectional survey of adolescents, young adults, and adults (N = 6131; ages 13-40 years old; Mage = 21.9) conducted from November to December 2021, 22 months after the FDA announced its prioritized enforcement policy against some flavored pod/cartridge-based e-cigarettes. We analyzed the patterns of use by age group: adolescents and young adults (AYAs) under 21 (minimum age of e-cigarette sales), young adults (21-24 years old), and adults (25-40 years old). The participants reported using e-cigarettes ever (44.2% < 21; 67.1% 21-24; 58.0% > 24), in the past 30 days (29.8% < 21; 52.6% 21-24; 43.3% > 24), and in the past 7 days (24.5% < 21; 43.9% 21-24; 36.5% > 24). Disposables were the most used e-cigarette device type across age groups (39.1% < 21; 36.9% 21-24; 34.5% > 24). Fruit, sweet, mint, and menthol flavors were popular across age groups; however, chi-squared tests for trends in proportions revealed age-related trends in past 30-day flavor use by device type. Findings suggest current AYA e-cigarette use may be higher than recorded by the NYTS 2021. The FDA, states, and localities should adopt more comprehensive restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products in order to reduce adolescent and young adult e-cigarette use.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph19148747

    View details for PubMedID 35886599

  • Distal and Proximal Family Contextual Effects on Adolescents' Interparental Conflict Appraisals: A Daily Diary Study JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY Fosco, G. M., McCauley, D. M., Sloan, C. J. 2021; 35 (7): 927-938

    Abstract

    Adolescent appraisals of interparental conflict (IPC)-perceiving IPC as threatening to their well-being or that of the family, and self-blaming attributions-are well-established processes through which IPC confers risk for developmental disruptions and psychopathology. Recent work documents intraindividual change in IPC and appraisals that occur on a daily timescale. However, considerably less is known about how the broader family context may temper appraisals of IPC. This study provides a novel examination of the implications of distal (global ratings of family relationships in general) and proximal (fluctuations in daily family relationships) family context (family cohesion, parent-adolescent closeness, and parent-adolescent conflict) for adolescents' propensity to form negative appraisals of daily IPC. This sample included 144 adolescents (63% female) in two-parent families, who participated in a 21-day daily diary study. Findings indicate that intraindividual variability in adolescents' perception of family cohesion, parent-adolescent closeness, and parent-adolescent conflict all correspond to adolescent appraisals of IPC through direct relations and moderating effects. Unique patterns emerged for boys and girls, suggesting gender differences in how adolescents incorporate the family context into their appraisals of IPC. This study expands our awareness of the importance of daily fluctuations in family relationships for adolescent risk during exposure to IPC. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

    View details for DOI 10.1037/fam0000703

    View details for Web of Science ID 000701321500007

    View details for PubMedID 33983756

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8719458

  • Family and individual risk factors for triangulation: Evaluating evidence for emotion coaching buffering effectsPalabras clave(sic)(sic)(sic) FAMILY PROCESS McCauley, D. M., Fosco, G. M. 2022; 61 (2): 841-857

    Abstract

    Adolescents who are triangulated into interparental conflict are at increased risk for psychological maladjustment. However, little is known about factors that may predict family risk for triangulating adolescents, or protective factors that can off-set this risk. In this study, we conducted longitudinal tests of family, parent, and adolescent factors that might predict increases in triangulation over time. The sample included 174 adolescents and their mother figures from two-parent families (58% female; Mage  = 14.75 years) who provided data on two occasions, six months apart. Hierarchical linear regression models evaluated family, parent, and adolescent risk factors for triangulation into interparental conflict, and subsequently parent's emotion coaching and adolescent gender as potential moderators of risk for triangulation. Findings revealed that low family cohesion, parent depression, and adolescent difficulties with emotion regulation represented risks for triangulation. Parent emotion coaching moderated the association between low interparental love and triangulation differentially based on adolescent gender.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/famp.12703

    View details for Web of Science ID 000681549300001

    View details for PubMedID 34355393

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8816974

  • Same Family, Divergent Realities: How Triangulation Preserves Parents' Illusory Harmony While Adolescents Navigate Interparental Conflicts JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY McCauley, D. M., Sloan, C. J., Xia, M., Fosco, G. M. 2021; 35 (2): 128-137

    View details for DOI 10.1037/fam0000785

    View details for Web of Science ID 000641179600002

  • Evaluating school and peer protective factors in the effects of interparental conflict on adolescent threat appraisals and self-efficacy JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE McCauley, D. M., Weymouth, B. B., Feinberg, M. E., Fosco, G. M. 2019; 71: 28-37

    Abstract

    Recent work has sought to understand how family-specific risk, such as exposure to interparental conflict, may generalize to developmentally-salient processes in adolescence. A cascade model has been identified in which conflict-specific threat appraisals may erode adolescents' self-efficacy over time, and in turn, undermine their psychological well-being. The goal of this study was to integrate success in the school and peer contexts as potential contextual protective factors that may mitigate the effects of interparental conflict on self-efficacy.We tested the additive and interactive effects of success in school and peer contexts on adolescent self-efficacy to better understand these ecological contextual factors for a family risk model. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with a sample of 768 two-parent U.S. families across three measurement occasions. Interparental conflict, threat appraisals, self-efficacy, and school success and peer support were measured using multiple, established scales.Results supported the additive effects model, in that school success and peer support significantly contributed to general self-efficacy above and beyond the effects of threat appraisals of interparental conflict, but did not moderate the association between threat appraisals and self-efficacy.Findings indicate that strengths in school and peer contexts have potential to compensate for, but do not appear to buffer, the negative effects of threat appraisals of interparental conflict and underscore the importance of these contexts for understanding multifinality in outcomes of adolescents exposed to interparental conflict.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.12.005

    View details for Web of Science ID 000460081800004

    View details for PubMedID 30593989

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6541003