Interpersonal perception in addict families.

A technique called the "Interperception Matrix" was devised to investigate interpersonal perception in eight families in which addicted offspring maintained close parental ties. The addict families were compared with eight matched control families. Several differences were found between the two types of families. In addict families: (a) addicts, their fathers, and their mothers all held the addicts in low regard; (b) addicts were described as very different from their parents; (c) parents and addicts disagreed more in their perception of the addicts; (d) there was a consensus that the addicts' major flaws were passivity and dependence; and (e) the addicts' mothers described themselves as less agreeable and more passive. Addict families and control families were similar in their descriptions of an ideal for the offspring and in generally favorable descriptions of both parents. These results extend and partially validate clinical observations that social perception in addict families serves to perpetuate opiate addiction by undermining addicts' self-esteem. These data, in conjunction with new understandings emerging from the addiction literature, support an approach to addiction therapy based on reframing family perception.