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General and specific locus of control in cocaine abusers
L M Oswald1, G C Walker, K J Krajewski
1Harris County Psychiatric Center, Houston, TX 77021.
Journal of Substance Abuse
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Recovering cocaine abusers exhibit a more internal locus of control compared to hospitalized individuals. This suggests that a greater sense of personal control is linked to successful cocaine addiction recovery.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Studies
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Locus of control is recognized as central to addiction.
- Limited information exists on its specific role in addiction development and maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare general and specific locus of control in cocaine abusers.
- To examine locus of control differences across treatment statuses (hospitalized with/without prior treatment, recovering).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of variance was used to compare locus of control scores.
- Three groups of cocaine abusers were studied: hospitalized (no prior treatment), hospitalized (prior treatment), and recovering.
Main Results:
- Significant group differences were found in both general and specific locus of control.
- Recovering abusers showed more internal locus of control than hospitalized subjects.
- Hospitalized abusers demonstrated an internal shift in locus of control during treatment.
Conclusions:
- Internality of locus of control is positively correlated with cocaine addiction recovery.
- Findings support the generalizability of models from alcoholism to cocaine addiction.
- Locus of control may be a significant factor in addiction treatment and recovery outcomes.
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