Locus of control and abstinence from alcohol: A correlational study

Relapse is a major problem for those persons who were abusers of alcohol and are working to sustain their abstinence from such usage. This is of particular concern for those individuals who are in the process of completing or have completed a treatment program or are engaged in groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and may not be availed to such type of intervention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between locus of control and days abstinent from alcohol among a sample group of participants who attended self-help meetings held in a locale found in upstate New York near the Canadian border. A purposive sample of participants n = 84 ages 18 years and older was recruited through 12-step self help group meetings. Method for collecting the data to the study was based on a quantitative approach that employed both a correlation and multivariate analysis. It was expected that the results would support a positive correlation between locus of control and days abstinent from alcohol. The results of the study showed no statistical relationship between locus of control and days abstinent from alcohol.