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Outcome of Alcoholism: the structure of patient attributions as to what causes change
Author(s) -
EDWARDS GRIFFITH,
BROWN DAVID,
DUCKITT ANNI,
OPPENHEIMER EDNA,
SHEEHAN MARGARET,
TAYLOR COLIN
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1987.tb01510.x
Subject(s) - attribution , psychology , outcome (game theory) , locus of control , social psychology , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , mathematics , mathematical economics
Summary Various strands of the research literature which have bearing on the concept of attribution for change in drinking behaviour are reviewed. The reasons which subjects give for amelioration in their drinking are likely to reflect a mixture of the way in which change is being subjectively construed together with report on the influences and processes which may objectively contribute to change. We present data on such attributions as given by 66 alcoholics on whom we have detailed 10‐year information on multiple aspects of outcome and who also completed a 70‐item Attributions Inventory. A factor analysis of the Attributions data reveals two factors which have been labelled respectively ‘Active’ and ‘Responsive’, and it is suggested that this may be a more appropriate analytical framework than the single dimension of Internal/External locus of control. The relationship between Attribution factors on the one hand and Outcome components and clusters on the other, is explored.‘Active’ Attribution is significantly and positively related to better ‘High Dependence’ Outcome, whereas ‘Responsive’ Attribution relates significantly and positively to better ‘Low Dependence’ outcome. Potential theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.