A Control Profile of Adult Children of Alcoholics: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

In order to more precisely investigate the nature of control and self-control issues for adult children of alcoholics (ACA), a group of ACAs was compared to a group of sex and age matched healthy normals and a sex matched group of college students on the Shapiro Control Inventory (SCI). The SCI provides a profile that is both general domain (positive sense of control, desire/efforts for control, agency of control, and mode of control) and domain specific (body, mind, interpersonal, self, career, environment). Analysis of variance and subsequent planned comparisons on the SCI showed significant differences between the AC A and the two comparison groups in general domain sense of control, in three of the four general domain mode quadrants, and in the domain specific areas of body, mind, interpersonal, and career. Individual areas where ACA subjects felt most out of control were weight, significant other, and family of origin; 89.5% felt concern with self-concept, stress, and relationship with significant other. Although a small subset of ACAs had a strikingly high “in control” profile, most did not. Finally, the sense of control profile of ACAs is compared with two clinical populations-borderline and depression-and is shown to fall midway between the clinical and normative groups. Guidelines and suggestions for further research are offered.