NCJ Number
67758
Journal
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Volume: 48 Issue: 3 Dated: (JUNE 1980) Pages: 350-355
Date Published
1980
Length
6 pages
Annotation
SELF-REPORTED ALCOHOL USE IN 500 NONALCOHOLIC MEN ARRESTED FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (DUI) OF INTOXICANTS WAS EXAMINED IN RELATION TO VARIOUS MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY PATTERNS.
Abstract
SUBJECTS FROM ONE SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY WERE ALL APPLICANTS TO THE ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROGRAM. OFFENDERS WERE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE (78 PERCENT) AND HAD A MEAN AGE OF 36 YEARS. MEAN EDUCATIONAL LEVEL WAS 11 YEARS. MOST WERE FROM THE LOWER OR LOWER MIDDLE CLASS. MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) PROFILES WERE IDENTIFIED BY MULTIVARIATE PROCEDURES. ALTHOUGH ALL THE DUI OFFENDERS SHARED MILD ANTISOCIAL TENDENCIES, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO ISOLATE PROFILE PATTERNS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPARATIVELY HIGHER LEVELS OF SELF-REPORTED DRINKING. THE MOST PRONOUNCED RELATIONSHIP WAS BETWEEN HIGHER LEVELS OF ESTIMATED AVERAGE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND PERSONALITY PATTERNS SHOWING ELEVATED INDICES OF DEPRESSION AND SOCIAL DEVIANCE, THE 2-4 CODE TYPE PATTERN. COMPARISONS OF PROTOTYPIC PROFILE PATTERNS DERIVED FROM SAMPLES OF DUI OFFENDERS, ALCOHOLICS, AND PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS SHOWED LITTLE PROFILE REPLICABILITY. NEVERTHELESS, THE 2-4 CODE TYPE PATTERN WAS CONSISTENTLY FOUND IN SAMPLES OF DUI OFFENDERS AND ALCOHOLICS, AS WAS A SINGLE PROFILE PATTERN INDICATING MODERATE SOCIAL DEVIANCE AND IMPULSIVITY. RESULTS INDICATE THE NEED FOR FOCUSED RESEARCH ON RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NEGATIVE AFFECT STATES SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, POSITIVE MOOD STATES SUCH AS ELATION, AND PATTERNS OF ALCOHOL INTAKE. BEHAVIORAL METHODS SHOULD BE USED TO MONITOR ALCOHOL INTAKE, ALONG WITH ASSESSMENT OF MOOD STATES AND DAILY RECORDING OF LIVE STRESS EVENTS. BLOOD ALCOHOL MEASUREMENT AND CORROBORATOR INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED TO VERIFY SELF-REPORTS. BOTH MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD BE STUDIED. FIGURES, A TABLE, AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)