Implications of using the composite and short versions of the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (AAPPQ)

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Abstract
The Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (AAPPQ) has often been used in studies seeking to understand or change the attitudes of workers towards alcohol abusers. Data are normally presented in terms of either individual subscales or as a composite scale, and recently a short version of the composite scale has been proposed. Using data from a quasi-experimental community intervention the information provided by the summary scales is compared with that from the individual subscales. The analysis suggests that there are two systems within the data--a role security/basic role requirements system and a therapeutic commitment system. Both summary scales are misleading in that they reflect the role security/basic role requirements system scales and not those measuring therapeutic commitment. It is concluded that the summary scales should only be used when the underlying data structure is understood.