Skip to main content

Table 3 Factor loadings for the two essentialism subscales. Factor loadings are presented for both the opioid and methamphetamine sample

From: Belief that addiction is a discrete category is a stronger correlate with stigma than the belief that addiction is biologically based

 

Factor Loadings: Opioid Sample

Factor Loadings: Methamphetamine Sample

Factor 1: Biological Essentialism

 A person being an addict can largely be attributed to their genetic inheritance.

1.00

1.00

 With enough scientific knowledge, the basic qualities of addicts can be traced back to, and explained by, their biological make-up.

1.03

0.71

 Whether someone is an addict or not can be determined by their biological make-up.

0.95

0.97

 With enough scientific knowledge, addiction can be traced back to genetic causes.

0.85

1.24

Factor 2: Non-Biological Essentialism

 

 The boundaries that define the differences between addicts and non-addicts are clear-cut.

1.06

0.98

 A person either has addictive tendencies, or they do not.

0.70

0.52

 There are different types of people (i.e., addicts or non-addicts) and those types can be easily defined and are relatively clear-cut.

1.11

1.06

 The kind of person someone is, is clearly defined, they either are an addict or they are not.

1.08

1.28

 People fall into distinct personality ‘types’.

0.850

0.70

 Generally speaking, once you know someone in one or two contexts, it is possible to predict how they will behave in most other contexts.

0.98

0.94

 It is possible to know about many aspects of a person once you learn they are an addict.

0.79

0.98

 When getting to know a person, it is possible to determine if they are an addict or not very quickly.

1.00

1.00

 Knowing that someone is an addict can lead to accurate predictions of their future behaviour.

0.66

0.66

 Everyone is either an addict or not.

0.78

1.01

 Although addicts may have some basic identifiable traits, it is never easy to make accurate judgments about how they will behave in different situations (R).

0.22

0.90