NCJ Number
59866
Journal
Journal of Abnormal Psychology Volume: 86 Issue: 6 Dated: (1977) Pages: 644-650
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
BIVARIATE, MULTIPLE, AND CANONICAL CORRELATION PROCEDURES WERE USED TO ANALYZE LEVELS AND COMBINATIONS OF LIFETIME ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AND ASSOCIATED PERSONALITY CHARACTERISCTICS IN MALE PRISONERS.
Abstract
THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 215 SHORT TERM PRISONERS IN 1 CALIFORNIA PRISON. THEIR MEAN AGE WAS 26.53 YEARS; MEAN SELF-REPORTED EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, 11.55 YEARS; AND MEAN SELF-REPORTED IQ, 102.8. ALL SUBJECTS RECEIVED THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY TEST. ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE WERE TREATED AS CONTINUOUS VARIABLES. CANONICAL CORRELATION INDICATED THAT A TWO DIMENSIONAL MODEL WAS APPROPRIATE. IN A FIRST DIMENSION, INCREASING LEVELS OF BOTH ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A GENERALIZED TENDENCY TOWARD SOCIAL NONCONFORMITY AND A STRONG ANXIETY COMPONENT. IN A SECOND DIMENSION, ALCOHOL USE ALONE RELATED TO NEUROTIC HYPOCHONDRIACAL FEATURES AND DRUG USE ALONE TO PSYCHOPATHIC CHARACTERISTICS. RESULTS CANNOT BE GENERALIZED AS OTHER MEASUREMENT SCALES AND POPULATIONS EXIST. BIVARIATE AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES ALONE WOULD HAVE REACHED OVERLY SIMPLISTIC AND UNREFINED CONCLUSIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. RESULTS ILLUSTRATE THE DANGERS OF USING STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES THAT ARE LESS COMPLEX THAN THE BEHAVIORAL RELATIONSHIPS INVESTIGATED. DICHOTOMOUS CLASSIFICATION OF USERS ACCORDING TO MAIN SUBSTANCE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN INFORMATION LOSS. NEVERTHELESS, STUDIES SHOULD SUBDIVIDE SUBJECTS INTO USERS OF BOTH SUBSTANCES, OF ONE OR THE OTHER SUBSTANCE, OR OF NEITHER. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)