THE ATTRIBUTION BY OPIATE ADDICTS OF CHARACTERISTICS TO ADDICT SUBGROUPS AND TO SELF.

The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the applicability of perceived similarity and social favorability scales to the assessment of reference group valences in opiate addicts. Parallel sets of questionnaire items were constructed to elicit favorable and unfavorable self-presentations and group assessments on three status dimensions where in each dimension one pole represented a specified membership group presumed to be a positive reference group, while the other pole symbolized a contrasting, and presumably negative reference group. An item by item scoring of congruent responses to pairs cif items describing self and designated subgroups yielded measures of addict identification or psychological closeness of addicts with reference groups. Configurally scored scales were not superior to single response scales in differentiating the valence levels of reference groups. Greater favorability was ascribed to membership groups. Subjects tended to attribute unfavorable qualities (and in some cases tended to neutralize their responses) to nonmembership groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]