Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Gary N. Burns

Second Advisor

Theodore G. Petersen

Third Advisor

Liana Kreamer

Fourth Advisor

Patrick D. Converse

Abstract

This study examined how employees perceive and respond to coworkers experiencing substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral addictions in workplace settings. Integrating attribution theory, stigma frameworks, and Quality of Work Life (QWL) perspectives, a controlled vignette-based design was administered to 130 employed adults who evaluated hypothetical coworkers across addiction conditions. Multilevel modeling revealed that SUDs were perceived as more severe than behavioral addictions, and higher perceived addiction severity was associated with greater stigmatizing attitudes. Stigmatizing attitudes, in turn, were differentially associated with workplace behavioral responses: stigma was strongly associated with increased distancing and reporting behaviors but was not significantly associated with helping. Organizational context variables demonstrated distinct effects; QWL was directly and positively associated with helping behavior but did not moderate the stigma-behavior relationship, while perceived resource availability was positively associated with both helping and reporting but was unexpectedly positively associated with stigma. These findings suggest that workplace responses to addiction reflect functionally distinct behavioral pathways shaped by different combinations of evaluative and contextual processes. Practically, results indicate that improving QWL may facilitate supportive workplace responses even in the presence of stigmatizing attitudes, underscoring the value of system-level interventions that enhance work environments alongside targeted stigma-reduction efforts.

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