Changes in Drinking-Related Locus of Control as a Function of Length of Alcoholism Treatment

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Abstract
Locus of control is viewed as a measure of the degree of responsibility an individual perceives himself to have over meaningful life events. The drinking-related Internal-External locus of control scale represents the translation of generalized expectancies for locus of control into a measure of specific expectancies dealing with a variety of drinking behaviors. The present study examined scores on the drinking scale cross-sectionally for a specific alcoholic patient population. The results suggest that over-all scores shifted from externality toward internality over the duration of treatment for alcoholism. Examination of factor scores, however, showed a shift toward externality over time on the interpersonal control factor alone. Specific mechanisms of these attitudinal shifts as they relate to the treatment process are discussed.