| Summary: | The present study involved the development of an objective paper-and-pencil measure of McClelland's personalized power theory of alcoholism. This theory proposes that alcoholics have a high personalized power need that they satisfy by drinking alcohol. Need for personalized power is characterized by a desire to prove oneself by defeating an opponent in one-to-one combat. Since they are unable to satisfy this need directly, alcoholics drink alcohol, the physiological and psychological effects of which are interpreted by the individual as strengthening, therefore satisfying the personalized power need. The study consisted of two phases. The first phase was designed to establish the applicability of the personalized power theory to alcoholics and developing a questionnaire to measure personalized power. The second phase was involved with cross-validating the instrument, establishing the reliability and comparing it with what is currently the most frequently utilized screening instrument for alcoholism. Alcoholic subjects came from the population in treatment at the Alcohol Treatment Unit of the Tucson, Arizona Veterans Administration Medical Center. The control group was composed of outpatients at the same facility. The results of Phase I indicate that alcoholics have high personalized power needs. In addition, an instrument was developed to measure personalized power. The instrument was developed using a composite approach from four already established instruments (the MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale, the Personal Reaction Inventory, the Machiavellianism IV Scale and the F Scale). In Phase II the instrument showed high reliability across a two week test-retest interval. Additionally, the instrument showed high concurrent validity, accurately categorizing 86% of the Phase II sample as alcoholic or control. There were significant differences between the sample's responses on this measure. The construct validity of the instrument was established primarily by the logic of its development and, to a lesser extent, by the method of internal consistency. The instrument, hereafter referred to as the Gingras-Kahn Inventory of Personalized Power (G-KIPP), compared very favorably with the most frequently used screening instrument, the MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale. The G-KIPP exceeded the MacAndrews on every measure and was more efficient at screening the alcoholics from the controls in the sample. The study also included a drinking pattern questionnaire. This questionnaire revealed that alcoholics suffered in more than one area because of their drinking. Most alcoholics reported suffering psychologically, physically, socially, economically and legally because of their drinking. The typical alcoholic had a 20-year history of drinking before realizing that he had a problem and then spent eight more years before seeking treatment. Alcoholics also liked different aspects of drinking than did controls. The controls liked the taste, the social aspects and the relaxation associated with drinking. Alcoholics were more likely to report liking the sensation of being inebriated and liked being able to forget as a result of drinking. The relationships of these findings to the theory of personalized power was discussed. These findings were discussed in relationship to the theory of personalized power and in relationship to the treatment program that is based on this theory. The advantages of theoretically-derived instruments were discussed compared to empirically-derived instruments.
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