The Addiction Belief Scale

Abstract

An eighteen-item Addiction Belief Scale (ABS) was developed to assess strength of belief in the disease versus free-will model of addiction (alpha = .91). Factor analysis of the ABS revealed three dimensions to the disease-model controversy of addiction. These include beliefs regarding personal power (subscale alpha = .91, n = 274), dichotomous thinking (subscale alpha = .83, n = 285), and addiction as a way of coping with life (subscale alpha = .47, n = 286). A discussion of scale analysis and suggestions for application of the ABS as a clinical and research instrument are presented.

Predictors of addiction treatment providers' beliefs in the disease and choice models of addiction

“…Schaler (1995) reported strong internal consistency for the ABS (α = .91, standardized item, α = .91, n = 266) and a three-factor structure described as "power" (α = .91, n = 274), "dichotomous thinking" (α = .83, n = 285), and "addiction as a way of coping with life" (α = .47, n = 286). High construct validity was evidenced by a strong negative correlation (r = −.67, p = .01) between respondents' ABS scores and their beliefs about the percentage of individuals able to recover from an addiction without any form of medical or 12-step-type treatment, that is, the stronger their belief in addiction as a disease (higher ABS score), the lower the percentage of individuals they believed are able to recover without treatment.…”

“…High construct validity was evidenced by a strong negative correlation (r = −.67, p = .01) between respondents' ABS scores and their beliefs about the percentage of individuals able to recover from an addiction without any form of medical or 12-step-type treatment, that is, the stronger their belief in addiction as a disease (higher ABS score), the lower the percentage of individuals they believed are able to recover without treatment. The full ABS and factorial analysis can be found in the work of Schaler (1995).…”

Illness Perceptions of Addiction and Substance Use Patterns among Psychology Students

“…Previous study reported that addiction treatment providers in United Kingdom believed that addiction is a way of coping with life [23]. That belief includes items similar as controllable and psychological subscales of IPQ, for example: alcoholics and drug addicts can learn to moderate their drinking or cut down their own drug use and people become addicted to drugs/ alcohol when life is going badly for them [24].…”

Clinician Attributions and Disease Model Perspectives of Mentally Ill, Chemically Addicted Patients: A Preliminary Investigation

“…And several studies of alcohol treatment providers (Cunningham et al, 1996;Forman et al, 2001;Thombs and Osborn, 2001) reveal quite varied ''typologies'' and orientations that appear linked in diverse ways to ideas about treatment and recovery. Indeed, Schaler (1995) suggests matching patients and therapists according to their beliefs about clinical problems. Perhaps conflicting attributions between therapists and their patients on measures of blame and control may contribute to conflicts in compliance with treatment plans.…”