Socially undesirable gender-linked personality traits and their relation to alcohol abuse in a college population

The goal of this study was to determine if the possession of socially undesirable masculine or feminine personality traits would relate to problematic drinking behaviors in a college population. Gender-linked personality traits were measured using the Extended Personality Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ) and the Unmitigated Communion Scale (UCS). Problematic drinking behaviors were measured using the Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST). One-hundred and one Humboldt State University undergraduate students were surveyed. The findings of this study did not support the hypotheses. It was proposed that scores from the Unmitigated Agency subscale in the EPAQ would predict scores on the SMAST in that the higher the Unmitigated Agency score, the higher the SMAST score. These scores were not significantly correlated in any direction and the regression analysis indicated that even though the Unmitigated Agency subscale scores were the best predictors for SMAST scores, this relationship was not of statistical significance. It was further proposed that the UCS would be positively related to the SMAST scores. The results did not indicate any relationship between the two.