Long-Term Objectives: The primary goal of this proposal is to use a lifespan perspective to examine how genetic and environmental factors influence, and interact to influence, problematic alcohol involvement, personality, and drinking motives. Ultimately, the goal of this project is to provide further information on how genes and environment contribute to alcohol involvement, personality, and motives, and to what extent genes and environment explain the relations among these constructs.
Specific Aims : The primary aims of this proposal are to prospectively examine measured gene-environment correlations and interactions that contribute to personality constructs as well as drinking motives related to problematic alcohol involvement, and to further determine the extent to which measured gene-environment correlations and interactions contributing to personality and drinking motives account for the relation of these factors with problematic alcohol involvement. These analyses will be conducted in two, multiwave datasets that include genotypic data. Significance: The results from this project could provide information towards improved approaches for identifying, treating, and preventing alcohol use disorders and could clarify how gene-environment correlations and interactions influence alcohol relevant personality, motives, and behaviors.
Project Narrative Relevance: Briefly, the proposed research project can help researchers and clinicians better understand how genetic risk interacts with environmental exposures to influence personality and drinking motives related to alcohol problems. This information can be used to design treatments that consider individual differences in genetic risk as well as environmental factors in order to better address problem drinking.
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