Page 9 - PhD GT

Chapter 10 Discussion
10.0 Background to the thesis revisited p214
10.1 The contribution of the thesis to the body of research on dependence p215
10.1.1 Dependence declines over time p216
10.1.2 The nature of change p217
10.1.3 Predictors of change in dependence p219
10.1.4 Predictors of change in substance use p219
10.2 On the validity of the findings p220
10.2.1 The study sample p220
10.2.2 Generalisability of the study sample p221
10.2.3 Non-response bias p223
10.3 Reliability of the methods of data collection p225
10.3.1 Self-report p225
10.3.2 Social desirability bias p226
10.3.3 Reliability of the instruments p226
10.3.4 Reliability of the interview method p228
10.4 Analysis of the data p229
10.4.1 Problems with the use of difference scores for cohort analytical studies p229
10.4.2 Criteria for interpreting the significance of changes in dependence p230
10.4.3 Constructing hypotheses and models to test them p233
10.5 An alternative approach to the design and analysis p237
10.5.1 Coping p238
10.5.2 The measurement of dependence p238
10.6 Is dependence important? p239
Tables
Table 3.1 Sources of bias in self-report and proposed solutions p57
Table 3.2 Criteria for assessing the relative suitability of scales to measure substance dependence and a proposed application; numbers in brackets in the text describe the meaning of numbers in the table p79
Table 4.1 Studies, their main purpose and the samples used in each p84 Table 4.2 Readability scores for the ten items of the LDQ p86
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