Drug of choice as related to percept-genetic reconstruction of personality in terms of the Spiral Aftereffect Technique (SAT) and the Defense Mechanism Technique modified (DMTm).

Summary, in English

This study concerns whether the personality of drug addicts is related to their drug of choice. A group of 112 heavy drug addicts participated, each selected for either heroin (29 women, 52 men) or amphetamine (31 men) being their basic drug. Their personality was assessed by means of two percept-genetic techniques, the Spiral Aftereffect Technique (SAT) and the Defense Mechanism Technique modified (DMTm). The data was examined by use of Multidimen­sional Scaling. The most typical signs for the male heroin abusers were LLs on SAT and denial 1 and repression 3 but not repression 6 on DMTm. Both the female heroin and the male amphetamine abusers were characterized by L- on SAT and denial through reversal III and repression 6 on DMTm. It is suggested that male abusers for whom heroin is the drug of choice reconstruct the very first position of the Andersson developmental and psychodynamic model of the mind, linked in particular with primary dependency. This contrasts with both the male and the female abusers, for whom amphetamine and heroin, respective­ly, are the basic drugs, and who reconstruct positions in the Andersson model linked with hystero-phobia.

• Author: Alf Andersson; Edward Montgomery
• Department/s: Department of Psychology
• Publishing year: 2005
• Language: English
• Publication/Series: Lund Psychological Reports
• Document type: Report
• Publisher: Department of Psychology, Lund University
• Topic: Psychology
• Status: Published
• Report number: Vol 6 no 3
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1404-8035