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Abstract

Orientation control is a personality construct referring to an individual's beliefs about the locus of control over his life events. The social learning model of behavior implies that people differ with respect to this orientation. The Drinking-related Internal Locus of Control Scale is viewed as a measure of specific expectancies dealing with a variety of drinking behaviors. The present study examined the relationship between alcoholic patients' orientation of control and attrition from the program. The scale was given to 75 male alcoholics. Patients who left treatment during the inpatient phase scored higher on the general control factor of the scale than those who stayed. Specific mechanisms of these attitudinal shifts as they relate to the treatment process and future research designs are discussed.

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Drinking-Related Locus of Control as a Predictor of Attrition in an Alcoholism Treatment Program

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