A new conditional reasoning measure was developed to evaluate the role of implicit biases in perpetuating addictive behavior. Data (N = 669) were collected in 2005 from two samples in a suburban area: individuals with a known history of chemical dependency and individuals from the general population.
Results indicated a strong correlation between overall test scores and group membership (rpb = .48), which increased when the groups’ demographic characteristics were equalized (rpb = .65).
Overall, findings suggest that addiction-prone individuals rely on a distinct set of cognitive biases that rationalize self-destructive behavior.
The study's limitations are noted and implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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