PROBLEM
A number of studies purporting either to describe the personality dynamics of alcoholics or t o predict chronic alcoholism as a behavioral characteristic have appeared in the literature. ('. e.* 3, 6 , 7, 8, I n general these studies have been seriously limited by utilizing small, non-random samples, by studying only members of Alcoholics Anonymous (probably an unrepresentative group of alcoholics), and by neglecting to differentiate alcoholics from other clinical groups. The present study has as its purpose the identification of personality characteristics of alcoholics which distinguish them froni non-alcoholics and from other clinical groups. SAMPLES Various samples were used in different parts of this study. These samples are listed below, together with an abbreviation code used in the remainder of this ieport.
A. Alcoholic subjects. Two separate samples were used. Both met the following criteria: (a) white males; (b) fifth grade education or its equivalent; (c) diagnosis of chronic alcoholism by a physician and/or a clinical psychologist.
The first sample (A-1) consisted of the first 98 cases a t the Mental Health Institute in Independence, Iowa,2 who met the criteria described above.
Sample 2 (A-2) was composed of 79 cases from the Willmar State Hospital, Willmar, Minnesota,3 who met these criteria. Normal subjects. Three samples of subjects with no known personality disturbance were used
The first sample (N-1) was a group of 60 male V. A. on-the-farm trainees, utilized in an unpublished master's thesis by Marsh@).
Sample 2 (N-2) consisted of the 258 normal Minnesota males selected by Hathaway for research on profile patterns of the MMPI (6). The final normal sample (N-3) consisted of the 139 normal Minnesota males and 51 V. A. hospital males used by Hathaway and McKinley in the development of their original scales(9).
C . Clinical subjects. Four samples of subjects who had been diagnosed in various clinical groups were utilized. Sample 1 (C-1) was composed of 33 consecutive numbered cases from the Mental Hygiene Clinic a t Fort Snelling, Minnesota.' In each case the primary diagnostic impression was psychoneurosis.
- The second sample (C-2) was composed of the 24 male "moderate psychoneurotics" described by Gough(1).
Sample 3 (C-3) consisted of Gough's 22 male psychotic patients('). 4. The final clinical sample (C-4) was Hathaway's group of 710 males with various psychiatric diagnoses selected for research on MMPI profiles(&). 'This report is based on the M.S. thesis of the junior author written under the supervision of the senior author. Willmar, Minnesota. 2The cooperation of Dr. Donald Kyer in making t.hese records available is gratefully acknowledged. 3These records were made available by Mr. Warren D. Roberts of the Willmar State Hospital, 4Dr. Carl Jenness and Dr. Daniel Wiener generously provided these records. 'This article is based upon a paper delivered a t the Eastern Psychological Association Meeting, April, 1957. The writers wish to acknowledge the help of Miss Sherry Carpenter a,nd Mr. Richard Remy in computing the statistics.