Citation

Rosenbaum G. J. Clin. Psychol. (Hoboken) 1995; 51(2): 303-307.

Affiliation

Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, CA 92120-4913, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7797656

Abstract

The paradoxical continuation of excessive drinking by chronic alcoholics despite extremely aversive personal deterioration is addressed by a two-factor theory. The theory regards the increasing stereotypy of alcohol-related behaviors as a function of: (a) primary neuropsychological impairments that result from alcohol abuse and (b) secondary fears of catastrophic failure attendant upon brain dysfunction, which leads to acquired aversions to situations that require adaptive behaviors. A schematic quantitative model of this formulation is presented that may be useful to practicing psychologists in explaining perserverative behavior in a variety of brain syndromes.

Language: en