People from Alcoholic
Backgrounds Studied
(February 20, 2007) -- COLUMBIA, Mo. (UPI via COMTEX) -- A U.S. study has
determined people raised in
alcoholic families
have personality traits that might eventually lead them to
alcohol dependency.
The multiyear University of Missouri-Columbia research study is being led by
psychology Professor Kenneth Sher. He and graduate student Jenny Larkins
compared personality differences of individuals from alcoholic households to
those from non-alcoholic environments.
When the study started in 1987, individuals with family histories of
alcoholism scored higher than their counterparts on both a neuroticism scale
measuring such characteristics as
anxiety,
depression
and emotionality and on a psychoticism scale that measures traits related to
aggression, egocentrism and
anti-social
behavior.
As participants in both groups aged, the researchers found an overall
decrease in neuroticism and psychoticism levels. However, Sher said those from
alcoholic environments maintained relatively higher levels of deviant behavioral
and emotional traits during adult maturation.
The research has been published in the journal Psychology of Addictive
Behaviors.
Source: UPI
Last updated: 02/07
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