Locus of Control and Alcoholism

Summary Performances of active and recovered alcoholics were compared on two measures of locus of control, I‐E and EC, and on the MC. The finding of excessively low scores on the I‐E for drinking groups was again replicated. A relationship among measures existed, such that a low scorer on the I‐E tended to be a high scorer on the MC and on EC–OE. The study was extended to include a wider sample of subjects and to test the reliability of the 1–E as a monitor of the recovery process. The one‐day coefficient of stability of the I‐E was 0.94; the 30‐day coefficient was 0.85, The phenomenon measured by the I‐E was relatively refractory to manipulation over a 30‐day treatment interval, suggesting that it was a relatively stable personality characteristic in this sample of problem drinkers. The I–E was again related to the EC (A) at the external locus; high scorers on the I–E tended also to score high on the EC–FE. A racial effect on I–E was found, such that non‐whites scored higher than whites.