Locus of control and the quantity--frequency index of alcohol use.

Abstract

In most studies on the relationship between drinking and locus of control among nonalcoholics, quantity (Q) and frequency (F) measures are multiplied and adjusted to yield an index of the average amount of absolute alcohol consumed per day. Combining Q and F measures in this way could mask a significant relationship should locus of control be related to either Q or F but not both. To test this possibility, 45 college students completed Rotter''s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E) and a drinking survey which requested self-report estimates of Q (amount consumed/drinking occasion), F (average number of drinking occasions/mo.) and 3 other measures of current and past drinking behavior. The I-E and the I-E subscale of 9 personally relevant items correlated positively with frequency of beer drining (r = 0.34), but were unrelated to both Q and Q .times. F. Useful information may be gained by treating Q and F as separate measures of drinking and frequency of drinking may be dispositional and reflect a personality-related adjustment strategy for handling stress. Quantity may be primarily dependent on situational factors such as availability of alcoholic beverages, presence of others and normative expectations.