Term Paper on "Relationship Between Different Personality Types and Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol"

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Term Paper 11 pages (3103 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Personality Type as a Predictor of Addictions

Evidence linking substance abuse, either alcohol or other substances, to an increased incidence of personality disorders. This study expands on previous studies and explores the link between happiness and depression stemming from a number of personality disorders. The hypothesis postulates that a link correlation will be found between a higher incidence of depression as a result of personality disorder and alcoholism. Those that experience happiness as a result of their personality disorder are expected to be less likely to become involved in substance abuse. The study will use MCMI to assess the presence of personality disorder and happiness or depression in the participant. It will take place at a local residential substance abuse treatment program.

Introduction

The ability to predict substance abuse is an important tool for clinicians. Substance abuse is complex and difficult to treat due to the presence of a number of risk factors. One of the key arguments among clinicians is whether substance abuse caused comorbid psychological disorders, or whether substance abuse is simply just another symptom of the psychological disorder. A number of external factors have been found to increase the likelihood of substance abuse, such as an abusive childhood or low socioeconomic status. However, internal factors are considered to be a better predictor of substance abuse than external factors. Every individual is different and will react to external factors differently.

The more we know about how an individual is likely to react to external stimulus, the better we can predict complications that

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might arise as a result of these factors. Craig, Verinis, & Wexler, (1985) found that alcoholics scored higher on personality scales for avoidant, passive-aggressive, schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid disorders. Opiate addicts scored higher on narcissistic personality scales. This analysis demonstrated common personality traits among both groups. These similarities might alert clinicians that a person with a certain set of personality traits might also be at risk for developing co-morbidity with alcoholism. The purpose of this study will be to help identify one more factor that might help clinicians to predict and treat substance abuse in their patients with personality disorder.

Research Problem

This study will explore the relationship between depression resulting from personality disorders and substance abuse. It will demonstrate that substance is more prevalent in those with depression than those that experience happiness as a result of their personality disorder. The research question will as, "Is there a difference in the prevalence of substance between those that suffer from depression as a result of a personality disorder and those that experience happiness as a result of their personality disorder?"

Background

This study stems from a the need for clinicians to better understand the complexities of substance abuse so that they can develop more effective treatment programs for their patients. Academic literature has focused on this topic for some time and has discovered a number of conditions that complicate substance abuse. Many of the factors are predictive in nature and might help in the diagnosis of conditions such as hidden addiction, where the person is not willing to admit that they have a problem.

This hypothesis is the result of previous research that explored comorbidity between substance abuse and its connection to personality disorders. These studies found a link between substance abuse and personality disorders. However, they did not establish the direction of causality. This research study will bring the field closer to discovering the subtle mechanisms of these relationships. It is expected that in a population of persons in a residential treatment facility that the frequency of those with depressive disorders stemming from personality disorders will be greater than those the experience happiness resulting from their personality disorder.

The presence of comorbidity between personality disorders and substance abuse is not a new idea. There are a number of academic studies that recognize this connection. The link between alcohol dependence and alcoholism was first studied in the 1980s. Several studies found a link between substance abuse and personality disorders. It was found that a significant number of alcoholics as displayed co-morbidity for anti-social personality disorders (Bucholz, et al., 2000). Epstein et al. (2002) found that alcoholics in various treatment facilities could be divided into subtypes. They also noted comorbidities with personality disorders among the various subtypes of alcohol abuse.

These studies are limited due to their inability to establish causality, let alone the direction of causality between the two comorbidity factors. This research will help to determine one potential cause of addiction associated with personality disorder. If the hypothesis in this research holds true then clinicians will know that it is not necessarily the personality disorder that is linked to addictive behaviors, but that the depression associated with it is to blame. Those that are happy are expected to be less likely to engage in addictive behaviors than those with depression.

Personality was a significant predictor of the likelihood that a teen would turn to alcohol or other substance abuse (Gerra et al., 2004). It was found that teens with certain personality traits had a greater chance of developing alcoholism than those that did not have these traits.

Bowden-Jones et al., (2004) found that not only was there a correlation between personality disorder and the presence of substance abuse, there was also a quantitative relationship as well. As the severity of the personality disorder increased, so did the symptoms of substance abuse.

The studies found as a result of the literature review were limited in scope, as they used a narrow set of criterion for selection of their sample subjects. The results of these studies could only be applied to narrow populations. For instance, using patients in a VA facility (Bucholz, et al., 2000) might introduce certain biases that could affect the results. For instance, it could not be determined how many of the patients in the study suffered from Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of exposure to battle. PTSD has been associated with depression and a number of other factors that could have skewed the results of this study.

The study by Gerra et al., (2004) was limited to teenagers. This study also assessed familial factors and other external variables that could have affected the results as well. Depression and personality disorders are different than in an adult population. These studies are limited in their applicability due to the limited population. The proposed research will eliminate these problems by drawing its sample from the general population at large. The population will be enrolled in a residential substance abuse program. However, this is not expected to skew the results in this study.

The hypothesis postulates that a link correlation will be found between a higher incidence of depression as a result of personality disorder and alcoholism. Those that experience happiness as a result of their personality disorder are expected to be less likely to become involved in substance abuse. The main persons who will benefit from this study are clinicians and their patients. One cannot treat substance abuse without treating the underlying condition. Therefore, if depression is found to be a major complicating factor in substance abuse, then it will be necessary to treat the depression as a part of the patient's substance abuse treatment program.

This research will represent the beginning of research that will fill a significant research gap. Researchers currently know that substance abuse is associated with several internal and external factors. However, they do not know the mechanisms of these apparent associations. Therefore, they do not know how to integrate them into diagnosis and treatment plans. This research represents the first step in the ability to glean useful information that will help to improve the effectiveness of current treatment strategies.

Method

The rationale for the study methodology will draw from similar studies in the past (Bowden-Jones, 2004; Craig, Verinis, & Wexler, 1985). Craig, Verinis, & Wexler, (1985) conducted a similar study that compared personality traits from a selected group of alcoholics and opiate addicts in a VA rehabilitation facility. They used the Millon Clinical Multiracial Inventory (MCMI) as the scale for assessing the presence of personality types and disorders. The MCMI was used as a basis for comparison between the two groups. This study proposes to address the same set of personality disorders that was the basis of the study conducted by Craig, Verinis, & Wexler (1985). The purpose of this study is to compare two groups in s similar fashion. However, in this study, the MCMI will be used to separate the subjects into groups according to their personality disorder.

Sample Population

The sample population for this study will consist of 100 participants that are currently undergoing treatment at a residential rehabilitation treatment facility. They will consist of those with multiple substances of abuse and those that are single substance abusers. All of the participants will have been in the program for at least one week prior to administration of the MCMI. The MCMI will be used to separate out those participants that are relatively happy and those that… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Relationship Between Different Personality Types and Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol" Assignment:

“

Research Proposal Guidelines

The topic of this research proposal is to determine the relationship between different personality types and addiction to drugs and alcohol.

The research question would be which personality types are more prone to addiction, which are not, and why? for example anti-social disorder, aggression, borderline, narcissistic, paranoid personlaity, introvert, extrovert, receptive, exploitive, hoarding, marketing, necrophilous, and working personalities.

The hypothesis is that the more outgoing as well as the depressed types from above would be more prone to addiction as compared to the more recluse personalities and happier personalities.

This is just a general basis for the hypothesis which you can build on to make more precise and professional. It is up to you whether it is experimental or correlational and which type of design would be best to use.

About your assignment:

You are going to be writing a paper that proposes an area that has not yet been studied. This is not as hard as it sounds! Psychology is a very young science, and there is yet research to be done in all areas. Almost every study suggests possible extensions at the end.

You*****re not going to be collecting actual data for this class, so you won*****t be responsible for complicated data an*****s. If you want to use brain imaging or a diary study, go for it!

Sections you will be writing are:

Title Page

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Discussion

References

Optional: Appendices and/or tables and figures

You will not be writing a results section because you will not have any results to analyze.

APA Style

YOUR GRADE WILL BE BASED HEAVILY ON APA STYLE. USE IT.

Title Page

Numbered 1, with appropriate header

Running head is left aligned

e.g., Running head: JEALOUSY AND SMILES

Paper title is centered and only the first letter of first word is capped

e.g., The effect of smiling on jealous reactions

Author name and affiliation are centered

Abstract

Provides the reader with a brief summary of the study

Begin with one or two sentences explaining the topic, the research question or the significance of the study.

Briefly introduce the participants (how many, from what population)

Present the hypotheses tested

Describe what methods were used and give an overview of the procedure

Were the results significant and supportive? (No stats in your proposals)

What conclusions can be reached from these findings, and what are their implications?

And all of that in just 120 words or less.

Be clear and concise

Choose each word carefully

Write the abstract last, after the rest of the paper

The word Abstract is centered above the text

Do not indent the first line

Always on its own page

Introduction and References

The introduction will be the first part of the paper you write and will form the back bone of your study

You will need at least 5 references

o I am emailing the 5 articles that should be referenced for this research proposal

Introduction

The introduction section comprises a large portion of your proposal and should be well written and logical.

Use the past tense when talking about previous research.

Use the future tense when talking about your study*****¦ you are telling someone what you PLAN to do.

What is the purpose of the introduction?

To get the reader on the same page as yourself, regarding your study.

Give all information to understand:

o What the purpose of your study is

o What you will do

o Why you will do it

o What questions you ask (hypotheses)

o Why they should care in the first place

When telling a story, it helps to have the background information. That is why you discuss previous research in your area.

What you need:

Research Question

o Testable

o Ethical

Previous research *****“ These studies provide support for:

o Why you are studying this topic

o How you formed your hypotheses

o What you expect to find

o Use previous research to suggest that your results will provide support for those findings or take the area in a new, exciting direction.

Hypotheses

o Tell your reader what you expect your study to accomplish

o Should be clearly stated

o Should flow logically from review of previous literature (the 5 articles)

Structure of an Introduction

Â· You may want to begin with an overview statement or an attention grabber

o Observation of human behavior

o Presentation of pressing social problem or current event

o Relevant quotation or saying

Present the purpose of your study

Â· The problem or question being researched

o Can also define difficult terms here

o Discuss why this is important

Â· Presentation of previous research

o DO NOT give me 5 paragraphs of summaries *****“ integrate each article in some logical way

o You may take out the headings from your lit review (Study 1) and use transitions to make the paper flow together.

o Show that you have read the article and discuss the methods briefly

o May also discuss limitations of previous research and how your study will fix these

Â· Define your variables conceptually

o Independent variables (or predictors)

o Dependent variables (or criterion)

Â· Present hypotheses and expected results

o Generally we can assume that you expect hypotheses to be supported, but need to discuss WHY

o Try to integrate hypotheses into the paragraph rather than listing them

o Make sure to describe comparison group

o People in hot rooms will display more aggression than people in cool rooms.

Miscellaneous Information

Begin Intro with the title, not *****Introduction*****

Do not discuss your methodology (unless it is directly relevant to previous research)

Do not make a shopping list of past research

Double space, use appropriate paragraphs and indent each paragraph 5 spaces

Proof-read for spelling, grammar and APA style

Methods Section

Purpose: To describe in detail how the study was conducted; how the data was collected. You have complete freedom and research to determine which would be the best population to use as well as the tools to use in the proposal to make it the most logical and effective for this assignment. Use your knowledge and expertise for every section.

Includes:

Participants

Measures/Materials/Apparatus

Design

Procedure

Participants

How many?

How will you recruit them (random, convenience, from psych classes, from phone book, etc.)?

From what population (college students, teens, insurance companies, etc.)?

Specific characteristics (age, ethnicity, gender, grade level, relationship status, etc.)?

Will they be compensated? How?

Why are you choosing this sample???

Measure/Materials/Apparatus

Describes measures (questionnaires) used, including a reference, # of items, what variables they measure (using operational definitions), what scale is used, etc.

Include examples of questions.

Describes other materials used (e.g. specific computer programs, cards with lines of different lengths, video taped conversations, etc.)

Design

Restate IV/DV or predictor/criterion

Correlational or experimental? If experimental, this section will be more detailed.

Within-subjects (repeated measures), between-subjects (independent groups), or mixed? n X n factorial design?

Why are you using this design?? (Do you have a choice?)

Procedure

Step-by-step what was done

Should allow another to evaluate your methods and replicate them

Should be written as clearly as possible, including how participants were recruited, how informed consent was given, how participants were assigned to groups (experimental studies only), how questionnaires were distributed, what debriefing was done.

Explain your rationale for everything in the procedure. Whenever you say something, say why you*****re doing it that way.

This is also where you need to discuss any deception and how you manipulated your variables

Look at sample papers in your lab manual and in journals for examples

Informed Consent and Debriefing

You must include in your procedure that you will give informed consent and that participants will be debriefed.

If you would like, you may actually create an informed consent and debriefing form; make them exactly as they would appear to participants

Sample Informed Consent at http://www.research.uh.edu/ocg/Preaward/CPHS/CPHS2.html

Debriefing is just a summary of what you were studying. Makes note of any deception. Also thanks the participant and gives your contact info and possibly contact info for counseling or other services participants may need.

Other Issues

The word Method is centered above the text. Not bold, underlined or italics

Method section does not start on a new page unless normal pagination requires it.

Subheadings are left aligned and in italics, not bold or underlined

Discussion Section

Purpose:

To interpret the (expected) findings of the study *****“ what they actually mean

To discuss the (expected) implications of the study *****“ what influence this study will have for psychology, science, and society

To provide a framework for future study

Only discuss the results that would support your hypothesis. You do not need to discuss what would happen if your hypothesis was not supported.

Main Points To Cover

Hypotheses

Restate the hypotheses from the introduction

Will they be supported or not? (say yes)

Previous research

Are these findings consistent with they findings from previous research discussed in your introduction?

Application

How can the findings from this study be applied practically? (Not all studies do this)

Unexpected factors

What factors may affect the results in an unexpected way? What alternative explanations are possible for your findings?

Limitations

No study is perfect, what may be a problem for your study? Think about the shortcomings of the design that you chose.

Future Research

In what direction should researchers take this topic next? What questions may your study be unable to answer? What variables could be studied next time?

Mechanics

The word Discussion is centered above the text.

The discussion section does not start on a new page unless it would normally go that way.

Begin by stating whether hypotheses will be supported.

Discuss the findings (expected) in the same order in which hypotheses were presented.

Finally, the discussion should attempt to integrate your study with other areas of research... Try to tie your findings back into previous ones.

Reference Page

The word References is centered at the top

References are listed alphabetically

Use hanging indent

Use Last name, First Initial, Middle Initial

Use APA format

References must be the same in-text as on the reference page.

Don*****t forget the page header

Loose Ends

Page Limit

The maximum page limit is 15 pages (including title page and reference page)

The minimum is 11 pages

Try to be concise and not wordy, but don*****t leave out anything you think might be important

Writing

Do not use contractions

Do not use first person

You will lose points if your grammatical errors distract me from your ideas! There is nothing to lose by going to the writing center.

Rules of thumb

Explain your rationale for all of your decisions

Don*****t just say that you*****re using a correlational design because it is appropriate for this study. WHY IS IT APPROPRIATE?

When in doubt, explain!

*****

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