The most widely used instrument to quantitate the psychological effects of drugs of abuse and characterize their addictive potential is the ARC Inventory, but little cross-cultural work has been attempted with the instrument. A Spanish version was developed by investigators in Barcelona, and a Chinese version was developed in collaboration with investigators in Beijing. Preliminary studies have been conducted with each, and the data are undergoing evaluation. The Spanish version is being evaluated to assess this translation's relevance to literate and Spanish speaking adults in the United States. The sample was composed of adults from Houston, Texas with a reported history of polysubstance abuse. Each had at least a seventh grade reading level and was literate in the Standard Spanish language as written in Texas. The Chinese version has been given an initial test in China by our collaborators. Data analysis from these studies is underway.
