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Are Disease and Other Conceptions of Alcohol Abuse Related to Beliefs About Outcome and Recovery? 1
Author(s) -
Cunningham John A.,
Sobell Linda S.,
Sobell Mark B.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1996.tb01129.x
Subject(s) - psychology , addiction , outcome (game theory) , skepticism , alcohol abuse , disease , habit , alcohol addiction , alcohol , substance abuse , clinical psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , epistemology , pathology , philosophy , biochemistry , chemistry , mathematics , mathematical economics
Visitors to a science center ( N = 189) responded to a questionnaire measuring their agreement with different conceptions of alcohol abuse (disease, sin, habit, and addiction conceptions) and their beliefs regarding treatment for alcohol abusers. Respondents who agreed with a disease concept thought alcohol abuse was a more serious problem, were more skeptical of statements about recovery, and were more likely to feel that treatment was necessary to achieve change, compared to those who disagreed with or were neutral toward the disease concept. Agreement with the sin, habit, and addiction conceptions was not related to beliefs about treatment and outcome. The utility of promoting various conceptualizations of alcohol abuse is discussed.