Cognitive Style, Personality Traits, and Treatment Attrition Among Alcoholics

The relationships among cognitive style, personality characteristics, and treatment attrition were examined. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to 78 inpatient alcoholic male veterans. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the GEFT and CAQ shared 24% common variance; second-order CAQ factors of Depression, Independence, and Extraversion contributed significantly. The GEFT and MMPI shared 16% common variance. Field-independent alcoholics demonstrate less psychopathol-ogy, more independence, and tend to be more introverted than field-dependent alcoholics. Cognitive style did not differ among four treatment attrition groups. Implications for treatment are discussed.