The Alcohol Responsibility Scale (ARS)

Description

The Alcohol Responsibility Scale, developed by Worell and Timility in 1981, is designed to assess the extent to which individuals attribute responsibility for their alcohol-related problems to themselves or to external factors. This scale consists of a series of statements that participants must respond to, which helps in understanding their locus of control concerning alcohol use and drinking behaviors. The concept of locus of control plays a vital role in addiction treatment as it can influence a person’s perception of their ability to change their drinking habits. By measuring the individual’s beliefs about their responsibility and the influence of external circumstances on their alcohol consumption, the scale aims to provide insights that can be used for therapeutic interventions and understanding relapse patterns in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Authors and Contact Email

Worell, T., and Timility, L. (1981)
Information not available

Purpose

The Alcohol Responsibility Scale seeks to measure the locus of responsibility attributed to an individual for their problem drinking, distinguishing between self-directed responsibility and external factors influencing that behavior.

Test Year

1981

Administration Method and Scoring

The scale consists of 24 items presented as paired statements, where respondents choose the statement they agree with more strongly. Each item reflects a belief either in personal responsibility or external influence regarding alcohol use.

Reliability and Validity

Reliability and validity metrics specific to the scale are not provided, but Johnson and colleagues (1991) found it comparable to Rotter’s Locus of Control scale, indicating a relationship between external locus of control and alcohol relapse.

Factors and Subscales

Information not available

Keywords

Alcohol Responsibility, Locus of Control, Problem Drinking, Alcoholism, Personal Responsibility, External Factors

Items of ‘The Alcohol Responsibility Scale’

1. I more strongly believe that:
a. I can “make it” if I want to hard enough.
b. If the cards are “stacked against me,” I will never “make it.”
2. a. I am the victim of bad luck of fate.
b. I have chosen a poor solution to some of life’s problems.
3. a. I have learned to become an alcoholic.
b. Heredity played a major role in my becoming an alcoholic.
4. a. My drinking is a “disease.”
b. My drinking is a poor solution to problems in my life.
5. a. If I could understand why I got this way, I would be well on my way to becoming cured.
b. My behavior reflects what I value the most – alcohol or family, job, etc.
6. a. I am “sick” or “ill.”
b. I am “irresponsible.”
7. a. I was born to be an alcoholic.
b. The experiences I have had and how I have reacted to them played a large part in determining whether I would become an alcoholic.
8. a. I can be the biggest “con man” in the world.
b. I am the victim of society and others around me.
9. a. I am just no good and I probably never will be.
b. I can be rehabilitated but only with my help.
10. a. If I make up my mind to quit drinking, I can do it.
b. Without the “right breaks,” I don’t stand a chance at being sober.
11. a. The Service is the main reason why I was forced into drinking in the first place.
b. I can choose to refuse a drink, even if others expect me to have a drink with them.
12. a. What happens to me, as an alcoholic, is up to me.
b. I don’t have very much control over the direction my life takes.
13. a. My staying sober involves taking responsibility for my behavior and placing more value on sobriety than on drunkenness.
b. If I could get the “right breaks,” I could kick the habit.
14. a. I would give anything to stay sober.
b. If I placed more value on staying sober than in drowning my troubles in alcohol, I would stay sober.
15. a. Other people can drive me to drink.
b. I have repeatedly chosen the easy way out of bad situations.
16. a. I can make the choice not to drink no matter how my parents have treated me.
b. My parents don’t realize how much they have put me on the road to alcoholism.
17. a. Physical problems often cause me to drink too much.
b. My drinking too much often causes me physical problems.
18. a. If people understood me better, they would realize that I can’t help myself.
b. I earn most of the contempt others show towards me.
19. a. I have made the choice of becoming an alcoholic, not other people.
b. If society were different, I wouldn’t have had to become an alcoholic.
20. a. I need a rehabilitation program that will help me.
b. I need to take an active part in my own treatment, whenever I seek help.
21. a. I have given my life over to alcoholism.
b. Alcoholism has taken over my life.
22. a. I certainly get a “raw deal” in life.
b. I generally get what I ask for in life.
23. a. When pressure builds up, I can’t keep from drinking.
b. Even when things are tough, I am responsible for staying sober.
24. a. I can control other people with my drinking behavior.
b. When I am drunk, I am an easy victim of other people’s manipulations.
25. a. If anyone really cared about me, I wouldn’t have to drink.
b. If I cared enough about other people, I wouldn’t drink.
26. a. I can’t justify my drinking by focusing on a “rough childhood” or a lost marriage.
b. A woman is the major cause of my being pushed into alcoholism.
27. a. I am responsible for choosing my way of life.
b. Things that have happened to me have pushed me towards alcoholism.
28. a. Alcoholism is a behavior problem that only I can change.
b. Doctors will soon find a cure for my drinking.
29. a. I have made the choice to drink or not to drink every day.
b. When a way of life, like alcoholism, took over my life, it was almost impossible to change.
30. a. I can’t excuse myself for drinking just because I get frustrated by other people.
b. When the hospital staff gives me a “bad time,” they are driving me to drink.
31. a. My alcoholism was likely caused by my being influenced by other drinkers.
b. I have likely chosen the kind of friends that give me an excuse to drink.

References

– Johnson, E. E., Nora, R. N., Tan, B., & Bustos, N. (1991). Comparison of two Locus of Control scales in predicting relapse in an alcoholic population. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 72, 43-40.
– Lefcourt, H. M. (Ed.). (1981). Research with the Locus of Control construct: Volume 1: Assessment methods. New York, NY: Academic Press Inc.
– For more information, visit: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/the-alcohol-responsibility-scale-2/