The influence of depressive symptomatology on alcoholics' Locus of control: A Methodological note and a correction

Abstract

In a previously published experiment from our laboratory, we reported two findings. First, controls showed the expected negative correlation between internal and external LOC dimensions, while alcoholics did not. Second, a difference score between LOC‐internal and LOC‐external was correlated significantly and positively with alcoholics' abstracting impairment. Data from two new independent samples of alcoholics and controls confirmed the first finding, but not the second; further, a calculation error was discovered in the previously published data that invalidated the second result. However, in all three studies, depressive symptomatology was found to be correlated negatively with the internal‐external LOC difference score in both alcoholics and controls. It is suggested that depressive symptomatology be assessed in any study that investigates LOC.