SELF ASSESSMENT IN DECISION MAKING STRATEGY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SUBSTANCE ADDICTION

Abstract

The article observes conceptual model of decision making process in substance addiction cases, grounded on previous scientific findings and on describing of study results, aimed on spotting most typical decision making strategy for addicted sample.

In study were used self-assessment results of sample with substance addiction, which data was gathered with the Melbourne decision-making questionnaire. Productive decision strategies, combined in the general indicator of the "vigilance" scale and unproductive decision-making strategies combined in the scales of "overvigilance", "procrastination" and "avoidance" scales, were scored and analyzed at the level of statistical distribution of values in sample.

As a result, substance addicted sample showed tendency to estimate high their ability to use productive decision making strategy, namely, vigilance,   and estimate their tend to unproductive decision making strategy (avoidance, overvigilance and procrastination) as regular or low.  Such tendency appears as opposite to previous research expectation, grounded on theoretical analysis in field of addiction and decision making. Two explanations of study results were proposed. First, results could be caused by self-monitoring bias, which usually develops after prolonged substance abuse. Second, results could reflect valid picture if we took into account one feature of sample – all participants not only had addiction diagnosis, but they also voluntarily choose path of rehabilitation, thus, maythey have better decision making abilities, than more general sample of drug addicts.

Keywords: decision making, substance addiction, vigilance, overvigilance, avoidance, procrastination, decision making strategy

Accepted: 14.03.2019

Reviewed: 28.03.2019

Published: 02.04.2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31108/3.2019.3.1.3