udy is designed to examine whether the recitivism rate for alcohol abusers exposed to full-term outpatient treatment significantly differs as a function of differences in patients' ages, yearly income, and gender. Because the focus is on treatment effectiveness, only those who have stayed with an outpatient program for its full term will be considered suitable candidates for study. All subject candidates will have received outpatient treatment no less than two years prior to this study and no more than three years prior. (The number of years since receiving treatment is kept within two to three years in order to minimize response variance due to differences in length of time since treatment).
Recidivism is selected as the measure of effective treatment because current research suggests that this measure is the definitive element in whether treatment has produced success (Gorski, 1985; McMahon & Flynn, 1985; McCrady & Noel, 1986).
The research problem can be characterized as an attempt to answer the following research questions:
1. Are the proportions of alcohol abusers returning to drinking after exposure to outpatient therapy significantly different depending upon whether they are males or females?
2. Are the proportions of alcohol abusers returning to drinking after exposure to outpatient therapy significantly different depending upon whether they are Under 30, Between 31 and 40, Between 41 and 50, or Over 50?
3. Are the proportions of alcohol abusers returning to drinking after exposure to outpatient therapy significant different depending upon whether their family's total yearly income is Under $25,000, Between $25,000 and $35,000, Between $35,000 and $50,000, or Over $50,000.
The purpose of this study is to examine whether recidivism rates in a sample of alcohol abusers (who finished outpatient treatment no less than two years ago and no more than three years ago) significantly differ as a function of differ...