Manifest Psychological J. Fracchia,
Needs of Heroin Addicts
C. Sheppard,
E. Ricca, and S. Merlis
A
LTHOUGH it is claimed that many treatment programs for narcotic addicts have been designed with the needs of addicts in mind, there appear to be few studies that attempt to identify or quantify these needs, particularly at the psychological level. Chambers* used a projective technique based upon Murray’s theory of personality to study the psychological-need associates of male heroin addicts. His addict sample had higher Affiliation-Succorance, lower Affiliation Endurance, and higher Aggression-Nurturance associations than did a normal sample. Chambers suggests a number of the need associations made by addicts imply conflict and overdetermined interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, which produce situations that can enhance or lead to drug-abuse behavior. Sheppard et al.2 employed the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)” in order to obtain a somewhat more objective estimate of the magnitude of heroin addicts’ need states. Need intensity measures were utilized to determine the extent of need conflict manifested in a group of heroin addicts applying to a methadone maintenance program. While age, geographic area, and other sampling differences preclude an unequivocal comparison with Chambers’ findings, their results appear to provide partial support for some of his conflict hypotheses. Fracchia et al.4 compared the interrelations among the 15 manifest needs assessed by the EPPS of heroin addicts with those reported for the normative sample. Significant differences were found in the patterns, directions, and magnitudes of the correlations between 105 need pairs. These data were interpreted as being suggestive of an inability on the part of the addict to differentiate between incompatible or conflicting needs. The present study describes the factor structure of manifest psychological needs of heroin addicts and discusses the extent to which the pattern of need variables appears to indicate a potential for interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict. METHOD Subjects. Fifty-nine applicants to the Suffolk County methadone maintenance program participated in an intake procedure consisting of social and drug history, a battery of psychometric tests, and a clinical depth interview. Testing and interviewing were conducted at the clinic on successive Fridays with no deviations from standard test instructions. The applicants were permitted to return on successive Fridays until testing was completed. All applicants were actively using drugs at the time of testing. Fifty participants were male, 9 were female. The average age of the groups was 23.4 years, with heroin use beginning at about 17.5 years. Addiction occurred for the majority before their eighteenth
From
the Demographic
and Special Studies
Unit,
Central
Islip Psychiatric
Center,
Central
Islip.
N. I’.
J. Fracchia,
M.A.: Senior Research Scientist, Psychology, Demographic and Special Studies Unit; M.A.: Associate Research Scientist, Psychology, Demographic and Special Studies Unit; E. Ricca: Research Assistant, Demographic and Special Studies Unit: S. Merlis, M.D.: Di-
C. Sheppard, rector
of Psychiatric
Research:
Research
Division,
Central
[slip Psychiatric
Center.
Central
Islip.
N. Y. D 1975 by Grune & Stratton,
Inc.
Comprehensive Psychiatry. Vol 16. No. 2 (March/April). 1975
133
134
FRACCHIA ET AL.
birthdays, and they were mainlining (injecting) an average of 5 spoons 4 times a day at a daily cost of $25. Heroin habits weresupplemented by other drugs. The duration of formal education of the group averaged 11.5 years, and their intelligence, as measured by the Raven Progressive Matrices centile of 62, was above normal. The addicts’ families were upwardly mobile, with the majority of family incomes at or above the county median value during the addicts’ adolescence. However, 39% of the applicants came from families that could be considered socioeconomically deprived. Marerials. The EPPS is a 225~item self-report inventory providing measures of 15 variables that originate in a list of manifest needs presented by Murray. The variables have been named Achievement, Deference, Order, Exhibition, Autonomy, Afhhation, Intraception, Succorance, Dominance, Abasement, Nurturance, Change, Endurance, Heterosexuality, and Aggression. Procedure. All data were factor-analyzed using the BMDX72 program,5 which follows a principal-component algorithm. This program allows data to be entered in the form of raw scores or as correlation, covariance, or factor-loading matrices. The input for the narcotic-addict sample consisted of raw scores on the 15 EPPS variables. In order to determine the factor structure of the normative group, the correlation matrix for EPPS variables reported in the Edwards manual (p. 20) served as input. Unity was entered in the diagonals of the correlation matrices, and Kaiser’s varimax algorithm was used for orthogonal rotation to simple structure. In the analyses, all factors having eigenvalues equal to or greater than one were computed and rotated. RESULTS
AND
DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows the orthogonally rotated factor matrix for the heroin-addict sample and the proportion of the total variance accounted for by each factor. The rotation procedures yielded four factors that accounted for 62% of the variance. If one defines a factor in terms of those variables having a loading above 0.40, the 4 factors contain 5, 4, 3, and 3 variables, respectively. Using this criterion, no variable appears in more than one factor, and all 15 EPPS variables are represented. The first factor is comprised of the Achievement, Autonomy, Intraception, Change, and Heterosexuality variables, with all variables having negative loadings. This factor appears to reflect the needs that underlie the life style that is often associated with narcotic addiction. It seems as if there is a tendency to equate the needs for success and independence with non-conformity, experiTable 1. Rotated Factor Matrix for Heroin Addict Sample Factor
EPPS Variable Achievement Deference Order Exhibition Autonomy Affiliation lntraception Succorance Dominance Abasement Nurturance Change Endurance Heterosexuality Aggression 96 of Variance
I -.73 -.02 -.04 -.39 -.73 .Ol -.64 -.I4 -.Ol -.31 -.14 -.74 -.22 -.67 -.28 30.0%
II .08 .22 .28 .03 .04 58 .27 .84 .02 .52 .84 -.03 -.I 1 .31 .16 11.0%
III
IV
-.29 -64 -.75
.05 40 .I3 64 36 .31 .13 -.02 .71 -.04 .09 .25 -.08 -.04 .77 8.5%
-.05 -.09 -.18 .02 .06 -34 -.24 -.lO -.07 -.84 -.oo -.09 11.0%
NEEDS OF HEROIN ADDICTS
135
mentation, and sexual motives. The appearance of Intraception in this constellation may be more an expression of the paranoid quality of street life than of analytic empathy; more a feeling of self-consciousness than of self-awareness. Affiliation, Succorance, Abasement, and Nurturance make up the second factor. This factor is suggestive of an intrapsychic conflict revolving about dependency needs. The basis for forming friendships seems to center around the needs to give and to receive help. This factor also contains a component indicative of feelings of guilt, self blame, and inferiority. It is tempting to postulate that these addicted individuals may be unhappy about the “using” nature of interpersonal relationships among drug abusers. That is, they feel both depressed about being used by others, and guilty about using others. Factor 3 loads significantly and negatively on the Deference, Order, and Endurance variables; this factor appears to contain the needs that enable one to “get it together.” While the addicts seem to recognize the congruence of these needs, their needs to conform, to be organized and to complete tasks are significantly less intense than those of normals.6 Exhibition, Dominance, and Aggression make up the fourth factor. This factor suggests a need to be recognized and to be in control of situations while being self indulgent and non-conforming at the same time. Table 2 presents the rotated factor loadings for the Edwards normative group. Varimax rotation produced a five-factor solution with the factors explaining 58% of the variance. The Heterosexuality variable did not load >0.40 on any factor while the Succorance variable had factor loadings >0.40 on the third and fourth factors. Four of the 5 factors are bipolar in the normative group. In contrast, no factor shows bipolarity in the heroin addict sample. The first factor in normals indicates by its bipolarity a recognition that the needs to be independent, to be critical, and to express hostility (+ Autonomy, + Aggression) are antithetical to the needs to make and hold friends and to be assisting, kind and sympathetic to others (- Alhliation, - Nurturance). The second factor emerging in the normative group contains the same EPPS Table 2.
Rotated
Factor
Matrix
for EPPS Normative
Group
EPPS Variable Achievement Deference
.32 -.25
.08 .59
-.16
.55
.oo
-.I8
Order
.15
.72
Exhibition
62
- .27
.26
Autonomy
.63
- .27
38
Affiliation
- .80
-.I3
.I 1
-.09
lntraception
-.07
-94
.04
-.Ol
Succorance
-.lO
- .32
-54
Dominance
-.03
-.16
-.06
Abasement
- .20
-.I
Nurturance
-.7l
.I7 -.I7
Change
- .oo
-.12
Endurance
69
Heterosexuality
33
Aggression % of Variance
54 20.0%
.75 -38 -36 13.6%
-.19
-.l
1
.I9 .06
-.45 .80 1
-.I6 .83
.03 .08
-.60
-.I4 -.55 .09 .03 .85 -.26 -.08 .I 1
-.22
.I8
-.I6
-.I7
.02
.05
.I8
- .22
.03
-.29
.I2
-.ll
.I2 9.1%
8.2%
7.1%
136
FRACCHIA
ET AL.
variables as the third factor in the heroin addict sample, i.e., Deference, Order, and Endurance, only with positive loadings. As previously mentioned, the normative group manifested significantly higher needs to conform, to have things run smoothly, and to get things done than did the addicted sample. Factor three is bipolar with a positive loading on Change and a negative loading in Succorance. It appears as if the normative group equates dependency needs with passivity and the need for novelty and experimentation with activity and adventurousness. Their responses put these needs on opposite poles of the same underlying dimension. The fourth factor is also bipolar with the positive pole defined by the Achievement and Dominance variables; the negative pole by Abasement and Succorance. This factor suggests that the normative group sees accomplishment and leadership needs as being quite similar to each other and opposite to acquiescence, feelings of inferiority, and dependency. The final factor, again bipolar, has a positive loading on Intraception and a negative loading on Exhibition. In essence, empathy and an analytic interest in the behavior of others are viewed as being inconsistent with the need to “come on strong” or to be the center of attraction. It reflects an awareness of the difference between “me and thee” oriented needs. Basically these data support the hypothesis that the associative pattern among EPPS variables in individuals addicted to heroin is consistent with inter- and intrapersonal conflict. Need factors for the addict sample are comprised of EPPS variables that are either internally inconsistent with one another or have negative factor loadings. The latter finding may indicate that the needs constituting the factor are acted upon in an atypical or maladaptive fashion. On the other hand, the structure revealed by the analysis of EPPS variable intercorrelations reported for Edwards’ normative group suggests these Ss differentiate between inherently incompatible needs. In general, this group showed a more “healthy” pattern of need clusters. SUMMARY
This study examines the factor structure of manifest psychological needs (as measured by the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule) in a sample of 59 male and female heroin addicts. Four basic need states (factors) are revealed by the analysis; two appear to be indicative of intrapsychic conflict, two appear to be the motivational bases underlying “street life” behaviors. REFERENCES 1. Chambers JL: Need associations of narcotic addicts. J Clin Psycho1 4:469-474, 1972 2. Sheppard C, Ricca E, Fracchia J, et al: Need conflicts of suburban narcotic abusers applying to a county methadone maintenance program. J Clin Psycho1 (in press) 3. Edwards AL: Manual for the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. New York, Psychological Corporation, 1959 4. Fracchia J, Sheppard C, Ricca E, et al: In-
terrelations among psychological needs of suburban heroin addicts. Psycho1 Rep (in press) 5. Dixon WJ (ed): BMD Biomedical Computer Programs X-series Supplement. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1970 6. Sheppard C, Ricca E, Fracchia J, et al: Psychological needs of suburban male heroin addicts. J Psychology 87:123-128, 1974
Needs of Heroin Addicts
C. Sheppard,
E. Ricca, and S. Merlis
A
LTHOUGH it is claimed that many treatment programs for narcotic addicts have been designed with the needs of addicts in mind, there appear to be few studies that attempt to identify or quantify these needs, particularly at the psychological level. Chambers* used a projective technique based upon Murray’s theory of personality to study the psychological-need associates of male heroin addicts. His addict sample had higher Affiliation-Succorance, lower Affiliation Endurance, and higher Aggression-Nurturance associations than did a normal sample. Chambers suggests a number of the need associations made by addicts imply conflict and overdetermined interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, which produce situations that can enhance or lead to drug-abuse behavior. Sheppard et al.2 employed the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)” in order to obtain a somewhat more objective estimate of the magnitude of heroin addicts’ need states. Need intensity measures were utilized to determine the extent of need conflict manifested in a group of heroin addicts applying to a methadone maintenance program. While age, geographic area, and other sampling differences preclude an unequivocal comparison with Chambers’ findings, their results appear to provide partial support for some of his conflict hypotheses. Fracchia et al.4 compared the interrelations among the 15 manifest needs assessed by the EPPS of heroin addicts with those reported for the normative sample. Significant differences were found in the patterns, directions, and magnitudes of the correlations between 105 need pairs. These data were interpreted as being suggestive of an inability on the part of the addict to differentiate between incompatible or conflicting needs. The present study describes the factor structure of manifest psychological needs of heroin addicts and discusses the extent to which the pattern of need variables appears to indicate a potential for interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict. METHOD Subjects. Fifty-nine applicants to the Suffolk County methadone maintenance program participated in an intake procedure consisting of social and drug history, a battery of psychometric tests, and a clinical depth interview. Testing and interviewing were conducted at the clinic on successive Fridays with no deviations from standard test instructions. The applicants were permitted to return on successive Fridays until testing was completed. All applicants were actively using drugs at the time of testing. Fifty participants were male, 9 were female. The average age of the groups was 23.4 years, with heroin use beginning at about 17.5 years. Addiction occurred for the majority before their eighteenth
From
the Demographic
and Special Studies
Unit,
Central
Islip Psychiatric
Center,
Central
Islip.
N. I’.
J. Fracchia,
M.A.: Senior Research Scientist, Psychology, Demographic and Special Studies Unit; M.A.: Associate Research Scientist, Psychology, Demographic and Special Studies Unit; E. Ricca: Research Assistant, Demographic and Special Studies Unit: S. Merlis, M.D.: Di-
C. Sheppard, rector
of Psychiatric
Research:
Research
Division,
Central
[slip Psychiatric
Center.
Central
Islip.
N. Y. D 1975 by Grune & Stratton,
Inc.
Comprehensive Psychiatry. Vol 16. No. 2 (March/April). 1975
133
134
FRACCHIA ET AL.
birthdays, and they were mainlining (injecting) an average of 5 spoons 4 times a day at a daily cost of $25. Heroin habits weresupplemented by other drugs. The duration of formal education of the group averaged 11.5 years, and their intelligence, as measured by the Raven Progressive Matrices centile of 62, was above normal. The addicts’ families were upwardly mobile, with the majority of family incomes at or above the county median value during the addicts’ adolescence. However, 39% of the applicants came from families that could be considered socioeconomically deprived. Marerials. The EPPS is a 225~item self-report inventory providing measures of 15 variables that originate in a list of manifest needs presented by Murray. The variables have been named Achievement, Deference, Order, Exhibition, Autonomy, Afhhation, Intraception, Succorance, Dominance, Abasement, Nurturance, Change, Endurance, Heterosexuality, and Aggression. Procedure. All data were factor-analyzed using the BMDX72 program,5 which follows a principal-component algorithm. This program allows data to be entered in the form of raw scores or as correlation, covariance, or factor-loading matrices. The input for the narcotic-addict sample consisted of raw scores on the 15 EPPS variables. In order to determine the factor structure of the normative group, the correlation matrix for EPPS variables reported in the Edwards manual (p. 20) served as input. Unity was entered in the diagonals of the correlation matrices, and Kaiser’s varimax algorithm was used for orthogonal rotation to simple structure. In the analyses, all factors having eigenvalues equal to or greater than one were computed and rotated. RESULTS
AND
DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows the orthogonally rotated factor matrix for the heroin-addict sample and the proportion of the total variance accounted for by each factor. The rotation procedures yielded four factors that accounted for 62% of the variance. If one defines a factor in terms of those variables having a loading above 0.40, the 4 factors contain 5, 4, 3, and 3 variables, respectively. Using this criterion, no variable appears in more than one factor, and all 15 EPPS variables are represented. The first factor is comprised of the Achievement, Autonomy, Intraception, Change, and Heterosexuality variables, with all variables having negative loadings. This factor appears to reflect the needs that underlie the life style that is often associated with narcotic addiction. It seems as if there is a tendency to equate the needs for success and independence with non-conformity, experiTable 1. Rotated Factor Matrix for Heroin Addict Sample Factor
EPPS Variable Achievement Deference Order Exhibition Autonomy Affiliation lntraception Succorance Dominance Abasement Nurturance Change Endurance Heterosexuality Aggression 96 of Variance
I -.73 -.02 -.04 -.39 -.73 .Ol -.64 -.I4 -.Ol -.31 -.14 -.74 -.22 -.67 -.28 30.0%
II .08 .22 .28 .03 .04 58 .27 .84 .02 .52 .84 -.03 -.I 1 .31 .16 11.0%
III
IV
-.29 -64 -.75
.05 40 .I3 64 36 .31 .13 -.02 .71 -.04 .09 .25 -.08 -.04 .77 8.5%
-.05 -.09 -.18 .02 .06 -34 -.24 -.lO -.07 -.84 -.oo -.09 11.0%
NEEDS OF HEROIN ADDICTS
135
mentation, and sexual motives. The appearance of Intraception in this constellation may be more an expression of the paranoid quality of street life than of analytic empathy; more a feeling of self-consciousness than of self-awareness. Affiliation, Succorance, Abasement, and Nurturance make up the second factor. This factor is suggestive of an intrapsychic conflict revolving about dependency needs. The basis for forming friendships seems to center around the needs to give and to receive help. This factor also contains a component indicative of feelings of guilt, self blame, and inferiority. It is tempting to postulate that these addicted individuals may be unhappy about the “using” nature of interpersonal relationships among drug abusers. That is, they feel both depressed about being used by others, and guilty about using others. Factor 3 loads significantly and negatively on the Deference, Order, and Endurance variables; this factor appears to contain the needs that enable one to “get it together.” While the addicts seem to recognize the congruence of these needs, their needs to conform, to be organized and to complete tasks are significantly less intense than those of normals.6 Exhibition, Dominance, and Aggression make up the fourth factor. This factor suggests a need to be recognized and to be in control of situations while being self indulgent and non-conforming at the same time. Table 2 presents the rotated factor loadings for the Edwards normative group. Varimax rotation produced a five-factor solution with the factors explaining 58% of the variance. The Heterosexuality variable did not load >0.40 on any factor while the Succorance variable had factor loadings >0.40 on the third and fourth factors. Four of the 5 factors are bipolar in the normative group. In contrast, no factor shows bipolarity in the heroin addict sample. The first factor in normals indicates by its bipolarity a recognition that the needs to be independent, to be critical, and to express hostility (+ Autonomy, + Aggression) are antithetical to the needs to make and hold friends and to be assisting, kind and sympathetic to others (- Alhliation, - Nurturance). The second factor emerging in the normative group contains the same EPPS Table 2.
Rotated
Factor
Matrix
for EPPS Normative
Group
EPPS Variable Achievement Deference
.32 -.25
.08 .59
-.16
.55
.oo
-.I8
Order
.15
.72
Exhibition
62
- .27
.26
Autonomy
.63
- .27
38
Affiliation
- .80
-.I3
.I 1
-.09
lntraception
-.07
-94
.04
-.Ol
Succorance
-.lO
- .32
-54
Dominance
-.03
-.16
-.06
Abasement
- .20
-.I
Nurturance
-.7l
.I7 -.I7
Change
- .oo
-.12
Endurance
69
Heterosexuality
33
Aggression % of Variance
54 20.0%
.75 -38 -36 13.6%
-.19
-.l
1
.I9 .06
-.45 .80 1
-.I6 .83
.03 .08
-.60
-.I4 -.55 .09 .03 .85 -.26 -.08 .I 1
-.22
.I8
-.I6
-.I7
.02
.05
.I8
- .22
.03
-.29
.I2
-.ll
.I2 9.1%
8.2%
7.1%
136
FRACCHIA
ET AL.
variables as the third factor in the heroin addict sample, i.e., Deference, Order, and Endurance, only with positive loadings. As previously mentioned, the normative group manifested significantly higher needs to conform, to have things run smoothly, and to get things done than did the addicted sample. Factor three is bipolar with a positive loading on Change and a negative loading in Succorance. It appears as if the normative group equates dependency needs with passivity and the need for novelty and experimentation with activity and adventurousness. Their responses put these needs on opposite poles of the same underlying dimension. The fourth factor is also bipolar with the positive pole defined by the Achievement and Dominance variables; the negative pole by Abasement and Succorance. This factor suggests that the normative group sees accomplishment and leadership needs as being quite similar to each other and opposite to acquiescence, feelings of inferiority, and dependency. The final factor, again bipolar, has a positive loading on Intraception and a negative loading on Exhibition. In essence, empathy and an analytic interest in the behavior of others are viewed as being inconsistent with the need to “come on strong” or to be the center of attraction. It reflects an awareness of the difference between “me and thee” oriented needs. Basically these data support the hypothesis that the associative pattern among EPPS variables in individuals addicted to heroin is consistent with inter- and intrapersonal conflict. Need factors for the addict sample are comprised of EPPS variables that are either internally inconsistent with one another or have negative factor loadings. The latter finding may indicate that the needs constituting the factor are acted upon in an atypical or maladaptive fashion. On the other hand, the structure revealed by the analysis of EPPS variable intercorrelations reported for Edwards’ normative group suggests these Ss differentiate between inherently incompatible needs. In general, this group showed a more “healthy” pattern of need clusters. SUMMARY
This study examines the factor structure of manifest psychological needs (as measured by the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule) in a sample of 59 male and female heroin addicts. Four basic need states (factors) are revealed by the analysis; two appear to be indicative of intrapsychic conflict, two appear to be the motivational bases underlying “street life” behaviors. REFERENCES 1. Chambers JL: Need associations of narcotic addicts. J Clin Psycho1 4:469-474, 1972 2. Sheppard C, Ricca E, Fracchia J, et al: Need conflicts of suburban narcotic abusers applying to a county methadone maintenance program. J Clin Psycho1 (in press) 3. Edwards AL: Manual for the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. New York, Psychological Corporation, 1959 4. Fracchia J, Sheppard C, Ricca E, et al: In-
terrelations among psychological needs of suburban heroin addicts. Psycho1 Rep (in press) 5. Dixon WJ (ed): BMD Biomedical Computer Programs X-series Supplement. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1970 6. Sheppard C, Ricca E, Fracchia J, et al: Psychological needs of suburban male heroin addicts. J Psychology 87:123-128, 1974
