Some Personality Patterns and Dimensions of Male Alcoholics: A Multivariate Description

The assumption that alcoholics form a homogeneous population has been found to be questionable. Recent research has been done to empirically define possible personality subtypes of alcoholics. This study extended the typological work done previously by Goldstein and Linden (1969a) and Whitelock, Overall, and Patrick (1971). They each found four alcoholic subtypes, three of which replicated across studies. For this research, MMPI profiles of 208 male alcoholics were submitted to a hierarchical clustering procedure. Seven subtypes were found. These results were compared to the results of the prior two studies, in addition to actuarial MMPI types previously delineated in clinical settings. Using a hierarchical factor analysis, these data were analyzed to determine the higher order interrelationships among MMPI scales for this alcoholic sample. These results were discussed, especially in terms of the implications for treatment and further research in alcoholism.