Control orientation among alcoholics: a cognitive social learning perspective

Measurement of locus of control in cocaine abusers

Although the course of recovery for cocaine abusers is particularly problematic, there has been little investigation of perceptions of control in this population. The purposes of this study were (1) to develop an instrument that would measure specific expectancies of control in cocaine abusers, and (2) to examine the relationship between specific and generalized expectancies of control in these subjects. Rotter's I-E scale and a modification of the Drinking-Related Locus of Control (DRIE) scale were administered to 40 cocaine abusers in their first week of treatment. The Modified DRIE scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and satisfactory test-retest reliability in the sample. No significant correlation was found between the Modified DRIE scale and the I-E scale, probably because of the relatively small sample size. Further validation of the Modified DRIE scale is indicated.

Alcoholic subtypes based on multiple assessment domains. Validation against treatment outcome

Research in the area of subtype development within alcoholic populations has undergone a number of changes over the recent years. First, there has been a shift from subtype derivation based on a priori comparative approaches toward a more recent use of a posteriori correlational approaches such as cluster analysis. Second, there has been an increased multivariate focus in which multiple measures from a number of practically and/or theoretically relevant assessment domains are entered into the classificatory process. Third, there has been an increased emphasis on the external validation of derived clusters. The present chapter briefly reviews these issues, using examples of research from the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center to illustrate each of these shifts across a series of studies focusing on the development of alcoholic subtypes. Finally, the results of a recent subtype identification and validation study will be presented to illustrate the difficulties in and advantages of a multidomain cluster analytic strategy.

Drinking-related locus of control as a predictor of attrition in an alcoholism treatment program

Orientation control is a personality construct referring to an individual's beliefs about the locus of control over his life events. The social learning model of behavior implies that people differ with respect to this orientation. The Drinking-related Internal Locus of Control Scale is viewed as a measure of specific expectancies dealing with a variety of drinking behaviors. The present study examined the relationship between alcoholic patients' orientation of control and attrition from the program. The scale was given to 75 male alcoholics. Patients who left treatment during the inpatient phase scored higher on the general control factor of the scale than those who stayed. Specific mechanisms of these attitudinal shifts as they relate to the treatment process and future research designs are discussed.