William B. Hansen, Ph.D.

William B. Hansen, Ph.D.,

Senior Research Scientist

Dr. William B. Hansen received an honors bachelor of arts degree from the University of Utah in 1974, a Master of Science degree in 1977, and a Ph.D. in 1978 in social psychology, both from the University of Houston. He has served on the faculty at UCLA (1978-1984), the University of Southern California (1980-1989) and Bowman Gray School of Medicine (1989-1996).

He has been the Principal Investigator or Project Director on numerous grants and contracts and is a widely recognized expert in alcohol and drug prevention. He has written numerous curricula for school and community-based prevention, including Project SMART, Project STAR, and All Stars. He has authored over 130 articles in scientific journals on research and evaluation methods, prevention theory, and strategies for successful prevention practice. In 2001, he was the recipient of the Society for Prevention Research “Science to Practice” award, recognizing his contribution to designing evidence-based approaches to prevention that can be used in real world settings. In 2013, he was named a Fellow of the Society for Prevention Research.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

  • Hansen, W. B., & Graham, J. W. (1991). Preventing alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among adolescents: Peer pressure resistance training vs. establishing conservative norms. Preventive Medicine, 20, 414-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-7435(91)90039-7
  • Hansen, W. B., & McNeal, R. B. (1997). How D.A.R.E. works: An examination of program effects on mediating variables. Health Education & Behavior, 24(2), 165-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400205
  • Hansen, W. B. (1996). Pilot test results comparing the All Stars Program with seventh grade D.A.R.E.: Program integrity and mediating variable analysis. Substance Use & Misuse, 31(10), 1359-1377. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826089609063981
  • Dusenbury, L., Brannigan, R., Falco, M., & Hansen, W. B. (2003). A review of research on fidelity of implementation: Implications for drug abuse prevention in school settings. Health Education Research, 18(2), 237-256. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/18.2.237
  • Hansen, W. B., Malotte, C. K., & Fielding J. E. (1988). Evaluation of a tobacco and alcohol abuse prevention curriculum for adolescents. Health Education Quarterly, 15(1), 93-114. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019818801500109
  • Hansen, W. B., & Graham, J. W. (1991). Preventing alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among adolescents: Peer pressure resistance training vs. establishing conservative norms. Preventive Medicine, 20, 414-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-7435(91)90039-7
  • McNeal, R. B., Hansen, W. B., Harrington, N. G., & Giles, S. M. (2004). How All Stars works: An examination of program effects on mediating variables. Health Education & Behavior, 31(2), 165-178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198103259852
  • Hansen, W.B., & Dusenbury, L. (2004). All Stars Plus: A competence and motivation enhancement approach to prevention. Health Education, 104(6), 371-381. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280410564141
  • Hansen W. B., & McNeal, R. B. (1996). The law of maximum expected potential effect: Constraints placed on program effectiveness by mediator relationships. Health Education Research, 11(4), 501-507. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/11.4.501
  • Hansen, W. B. & Hansen, J. L. (2016). Using attitudes, age and gender to estimate an adolescent's substance use risk. Journal of Children's Services, 11(3), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-06-2015-0020
  • Hansen, W. B., Saldana, S., & Ip, E. H-S. (2022). Psychosocial indicators of adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use: An analysis of normalized, harmonized, and pooled data. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 45(4), 341-353. https://doi.org/10.1177/01632787221097145
  • Hansen, W. B. (2015). All Stars: A conceptual history. In L. M. Scheier (Ed.), Handbook of drug abuse prevention research, intervention strategies, and practice (pp. 197-216). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14550-012
  • Hansen, W. B. (2002). Program evaluation strategies for substance abuse prevention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 22(4), 409-436. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015231724053
  • Hansen, W. B., Derzon, J. H., & Reese, E. L. (2012). A synthetic comparator approach to local evaluation of school-based substance abuse prevention programming. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 37(2), 258-282. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278712464772
  • Hansen, W. B., Saldana, S., Chen, S. H., & Ip, E. H. (2018). An algorithm for creating virtual controls using integrated and harmonized longitudinal data. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 41(2), 183-215. https://doi.org/10.1177/01632787221097145
  • Hansen, W. B., Fleming, C. B. & Scheier, L. M. (2019) Self-reported engagement in a drug prevention program: Individual and classroom effects on proximal and behavioral outcomes. Journal of Primary Prevention, 40(1), 5-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-018-00532-1
  • Bishop, D. C., Pankratz, M. M., Hansen, W. B., Albritton, J., Albritton, L., & Strack, J. (2013). Measuring fidelity and adaptation: Reliability of an instrument for school-based prevention programs. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 37(2), 231-257. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278713476882
  • Hansen, W. B., Pankratz, M. M., Dusenbury, L., Giles, S. M., Bishop, D. C., Albritton, J., Albritton, L. P., & Strack, J. (2013). Styles of adaptation: The impact of frequency and valence of adaptation on preventing substance use. Health Education, 113(4), 345-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654281311329268
  • Hansen, W. B., Pankratz, M. M., & Bishop, D. C. (2014). Differences in teachers' and observers' assessments of fidelity. Journal of Primary Prevention, 35(5), 297-308. PMID: 24903491
  • Hansen, W. B., Raynor, A. E., & Wolkenstein, B. H. (1991). Perceived personal immunity to the consequences of drinking alcohol: The relationship between behavior and perception. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 14(3), 205-224. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845452
  • McNeal, R. B. & Hansen, W. B. (1999). Developmental patterns associated with the onset of drug use: Changes in postulated mediators during adolescence. Journal of Drug Issues, 29(2), 381-400. https://doi.org/10.1177/002204269902900214
  • Fearnow-Kenney, M., Hansen, W. B., & McNeal, R. B. (2002). Comparison of psychosocial influences on substance use in adolescents: Implications for prevention programming. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 11(4), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1300/J029v11n04_01
  • Hansen, W. B., Dusenbury, L., Bishop D., & Derzon J. H. (2007). Substance abuse prevention program content: Systematizing the classification of what programs target for change. Health Education Research, 22(3), 351-360. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyl091

Engage, Educate, & Empower

We are here to help. Our clients depend on us to develop their young adults, athletes, community and businesses. Whether you are in the initial stages of identifying the health challenge you would like to target, or further along in your programming and ready to formally assess the impact of your efforts, the experienced researchers at Prevention Strategies can help. Let’s explore a partnership today.

We’d love to connect with you!