Techniques For Research On Alcoholics
Alcoholics present special challenges for researchers because they are good at concealing their drunkenness. Vaillant asserts that "Alcoholics are expert forgetters," have inaccurate memories, and give persuasive denials that manifest "an extraordinary ability to deny the consequences of their drinking." For effective interviews, the subject should first be relatively sober. The interviewer should ask non-threatening, non-judgmental questions that do not challenge the alcoholic's right to drink and that minimise guilt. (Failure to observe these guidelines by medical professionals has likely contributed to alcoholics’ reputation for denial.) Interviewers should ask for objective evidence. For example, if an alcoholic claims that his divorce led to him drinking, the interviewer could ask if the alcoholic's spouse ever complained of his drinking before they split. Interviews and questionnaires should always be backed up with interviews with the subject's family, with consultation of medical records, and with searches in public records for evidence of legal problems associated with drinking.
Read more about this topic: The Natural History Of Alcoholism Revisited, Background
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