Comparative Trait Analysis of Long-Term Recovering Alcoholics

Abstract

Traits of long-term recovering alcoholics were compared with traits of nonalcoholic controls. Subjects were matched on biographic variables and completed a trait measure of social responsibility and measures of self-deception and impression management as strategies for gaining approval. Confirmed hypotheses indicated that recovering alcoholics scored significantly higher on the intrapersonal measure of social responsibility and significantly lower on the intrapersonal measure of self-deception. No confirmation was found for differences on the interpersonal measure of impression management, but support was found for discrimination of recovering alcoholics from controls with combined measures of responsibility and self-deception. Supported hypotheses suggested that recovery may involve a restructuring of traits from low to high responsibility and from high to low self-deception or lack of self-acceptance.