Locus of control and drinking behavior in American Indian alcoholics and non-alcoholics

Many investigators have attempted to determine whether alcoholics differ from non-alcoholics in their perceived locus of control. The present study examined the responses of alcoholic and non-alcoholic American Indian males and females on Levenson's Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale. Subjects were 80 American Indian males and 40 American Indian females. All subjects were members of either an eastern (Cherokee) or western (Cheyenne) Oklahoma tribe. Results indicate no significant differences between the Cherokee male alcoholic and non-alcoholic group. Cheyenne male alcoholics reported significantly lower internal control scores than did Cheyenne male non-alcoholics. Within the female sample, alcohol use and tribal membership showed a significant interaction with locus of control. These findings suggest that locus of control may be a potentially useful clinical construct in the development of treatment plans and therapeutic issues for American Indian patients who are alcoholics.