Self-efficacy and alcohol relapse: concurrent validity of confidence measures, self-other discrepancies, and prediction of treatment outcome.
OBJECTIVE
Self-efficacy has been shown to predict relapse following treatment for alcohol dependence. Most studies use comprehensive multi-item scales to assess clients' confidence. The development and validation of simple measures may encourage both clinicians and researchers to assess self-efficacy more frequently over the course of treatment. However, the validity of both comprehensive and single-item measures is likely to be threatened by deliberate impression management and self-deception, respectively.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-two alcohol-dependent inpatients completed a shortened unidimensional version of the Drug Taking Confidence Questionnaire and a brief questionnaire on background variables and alcohol use. Additionally, clients' confidence and beliefs about the success of others were assessed using various single-item rating scales. Treatment outcome was evaluated 12 weeks following discharge.


RESULTS
Correlations between confidence measures ranged from r=.21 to r=.56. Abstainers (n=54) differed from relapsers (n=88) with respect to age, marital status, abstinence self-efficacy, and abstinence other-efficacy. Although self-efficacy was not related to treatment outcome, clients' beliefs about the success of others predicted posttreatment drinking behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest that other-efficacy beliefs may reflect an individual's true expectations more accurately than explicit measures of self-efficacy. The predictive validity of self-efficacy measures is likely to be limited because of a positive response bias.
Demmel
Ralf
R
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany. demmel@psy.uni-muenster.de
Nicolai
Jennifer
J
Jenko
Dagmar Maria
DM
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013695:Temperance; D016896:Treatment Outcome