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Development and initial validation of a 12-step participation expectancies questionnaire
Christopher W Kahler1, John F Kelly, David R Strong
1Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-BH, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Christopher_Kahler@Brown.edu
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|June 1, 2006
Summary
A new questionnaire effectively measures attitudes and expectancies for 12-step mutual-help groups, showing it can predict participation and aid clinicians in understanding patient views on benefits and barriers.
Area of Science:
- Addiction research
- Psychometrics
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Limited tools exist to assess expectancies for 12-step mutual-help groups.
- Understanding these expectancies is crucial for predicting actual participation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop and validate a measure of attitudes and expectancies for 12-step participation.
- Examine the psychometric properties of the new instrument.
- Explore its concurrent and predictive validity.
Main Methods:
- Developed a questionnaire assessing expected benefits, concerns, and barriers to 12-step participation.
- Administered to 48 alcohol-dependent patients during inpatient detoxification.
- Assessed 12-step group participation and drinking outcomes at 1, 3, and 6 months post-discharge.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analysis supported combining scales into a higher-order total score.
- The total score significantly correlated with prior 12-step experience and future attendance goals.
- Baseline expectancies significantly predicted 12-step group participation during follow-up.
Conclusions:
- The developed measure demonstrates good internal consistency, concurrent validity, and predictive validity.
- This instrument may help clinicians identify patient expectancies, facilitating discussions on benefits, concerns, and barriers.
- Clinical utility lies in tailoring interventions based on individual expectancies for 12-step participation.
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