COGNITIVE-FUNCTIONING IN ALCOHOLICS - ROLE OF SUBJECT ATTRITION

Studied the role of 4 S factors in research on cognitive ability in alcoholics. These factors were S attrition by failure to meet test performance criteria, duration of alcoholism, education, and age. To assess cognitive ability, 2 versions of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were used. A total of 60 alcoholic and 37 control male Ss participated. Findings are as follows: (a) Alcoholics had a higher attrition rate than controls (30 vs 3%). (b) The attrition rate was particularly high among alcoholics who were over the age of 45 and had less than 13 yrs of education. (c) Older or less educated alcoholics performed more poorly on the 1st part of the test than did younger or more educated alcoholics. (d) Among controls and alcoholics who completed the entire test, less educated Ss performed more poorly than did more educated Ss. (e) Alcoholics who completed the entire test performed more poorly than did controls. Duration of alcoholism was not related to performance. The importance of S factors, (i.e., S attrition and S selection) in the study of cognitive deficits in alcoholics is emphasized. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.