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Towards an ontology of identity‐related constructs in addiction, with examples from nicotine and tobacco research

Notley, Caitlin; West, Robert; Soar, Kirstie; Hastings, Janna; Cox, Sharon; (2022) Towards an ontology of identity‐related constructs in addiction, with examples from nicotine and tobacco research. Addiction , 118 (3) pp. 548-557. 10.1111/add.16079. Green open access

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Abstract

Background and aims: We aimed to create a basic set of definitions and relationships for identity-related constructs, as part of the Addiction Ontology and E-Cigarette Ontology projects, that could be used by researchers with diverse theoretical positions and so facilitate evidence synthesis and interoperability. Methods: We reviewed the use of identity-related constructs in psychological and social sciences and how these have been applied to addiction with a focus on nicotine and tobacco research. We then used an iterative process of adaptation and review to arrive at a basic set of identity-related classes with labels, definitions and relationships that could provide a common framework for research. Results: We propose that identity be used to refer to ‘a cognitive representation by a person or group of themselves’, with self-identity referring to an individual’s identity and group identity referring to an identity held by a social group. Identities can then be classified at any level of granularity based on the content of the representations (e.g., tobacco smoker identity, cigarette smoker identity, vaper identity). We propose distinguishing identity from self-appraisal in order to capture the distinction between the representation of oneself (e.g., as an ex-smoker) and a) the importance and b) the positive or negative evaluation that we attach to what is represented. We label an identity that is appraised as enduring as a core identity, related to strong identity due to the appraisal as important. Identities that are appraised positively or negatively involve positive self-appraisal and negative self-appraisal respectively. This allows us to create ‘logically defined classes’ of identity by combining them (e.g., positive core cigarette smoker identity to refer to a cigarette smoker self-identity that is both positive and important). We refer to the totality of self-identities of a person as a composite self-identity. Conclusions: An ontology of identity constructs may assist in improving clarity when discussing theories and evidence relating to this construct in addiction research.

Type: Article
Title: Towards an ontology of identity‐related constructs in addiction, with examples from nicotine and tobacco research
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/add.16079
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16079
Language: English
Additional information: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10159615
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