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Abstract

While some data on pre-alcoholics' personality suggests that alcoholics may be extraverted, Eysenck's theory of personality predicts that alcoholics are introverted. This study attempted to determine whether alcoholics were primarily extraverts, introverts, or ambiverts. Four groups of subjects (28 inpatients, 16 outpatients, 24 DWIs, and 8 staff) from two alcoholism treatment centers were given a measure of extraversion-introversion, the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale, and a self-report measure of the average daily volume of alcohol consumed. The alcoholic groups scored in the introvertive direction, while the non-alcoholic groups scored in the extravertive direction. Findings suggest that extraversion is related to treatment outcome, with introverts having a poorer prognosis for recovery than extraverts.

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Alcoholics' Personalities: Extravert or Introvert?

Abstract

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