An examination of the relationship between drinking status after treatment and the self-evaluation of the alcoholic

A repeated measures design examined the relationship between post-treatment drinking status and the alcoholics' evaluation of themselves when sober and when drinking. The self-evaluation ratings of 78 alcoholics in a residential psychotherapeutic treatment program were measured at intake (time 1), and at follow-up, three to six months after treatment (time 2). Four hypotheses were tested which posited: (1) sober self-ratings would be higher at follow-up than at intake; (2) drinking self-ratings would be lower at follow-up than at intake; (3) sober/drinking differences would be greater at follow-up than at intake; and (4) the nondrinkers would evidence more significant differences (in the above) than the drinkers. The t-test yielded a marginally significant sober rating (t (46) = -1.93, p = 0.03). There was a significant time by sober/drinking interaction (F (1,44) = 5.57, = 0.03), but there was no significant group effect. The first three hypotheses were accepted, the fourth was rejected.