An Alcoholic is Good and Sober: Sentiment Change in AA

• NCJ Number: 194782
• Journal: Deviant Behavior Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2002 Pages: 177-199
• Author(s): Lisa Thomassen
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): PHS T32 MH15789-14; PHS 5 P32 AA07566-03
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services; National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An early version of this article was presented at the August, 1997 American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Social Psychology Section held in Toronto, Canada.

Annotation

The article presents the results of a longitudinal study of 55 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members concerning the changes in alcoholics' perception of alcoholism and alcoholic identity following regular AA attendance.

Abstract

The author studied data collected from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) attendees in two Midwest States in order to measure the effect that AA had on individual attendees’ perceptions of alcoholics and alcoholism. The author presents overviews of social expectations, deviance, and the history of AA and explores the role of peer support in changing an individual’s perception of deviant identity. In developing this analysis the author chose sentiment measurement as her analytical tool. Sentiment was measured three dimensionally for evaluation (good or bad), potency, and activity. Study participants were questioned twice with 6 months between first and second study administration. The author found that study participants quickly assimilated to the AA sentiments and that the peer support subculture provided a meaningful mechanism for transition of the alcoholic from a deviant self-perception to positive self-identification while maintaining a self awareness of the alcoholic status. 5 notes, 1 figure, 2 tables,66 references