Personality Alteration and Substance Abuse

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Methods
Results
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The evaluation of personality has been a major area of application of psychology in other disciplines and majorly real life matters. Personality underscores the aspects that shape one’s life based on how other people see him/her. An individual’s personality is described as the traits that reoccur or show consistency throughout life. The immediate environment in which human beings find themselves is a key factor, which influences their personalities as elaborated throughout this paper. For instance, substance abuse can influence one’s personality in many ways, thus making it difficult for others to get along with such a person. This paper will explore and elaborate research article on alcohol drinking motives among the young adults. The hypothesis identified in this research indicates that alcohol consumption by young adults is usually instigated by the desire to cope with immediate life situations or social motives such as peer acceptance and the enhancement of the urge to get high (Kuntsche, Knibbe, Gmel, & Engels 2006). This paper will analyze the causal relationship between the personality alteration and substance use. The chosen article is “Who drinks and why – A review of socio-demographic, personality, and contextual issues behind the drinking motives in young people” by Kuntsche, Knibbe, Gmel, and Engels.

Methods

The research adopted quantitative research method in seeking to compare and establish the causal interlinking aspects between substance abuse and personality amongst young adults. A computer-aided compilation of data, focus group interviews, and questionnaires were incorporated as well as a close reference to psychology information and sociological abstract databases. The literature search focused on the recent peer-reviewed articles on personality and substance abuse. The general population of young adults was sampled for young adults within the age of eighteen to twenty-five years. This population included about 500 young adults mostly students in their final years of university studies coupled with others who had joined the employment sector (Kuntsche et al., 2006). The objective of the paper was to assess the empirical research on the current knowledge on possible causes of drinking incentives amongst young adults

Results

Gender and age trends

Later in adolescence and transiting to adulthood, the study identified that young male adults were more vulnerable to substance abuse as compared to their female counterparts. The motives by the young men to drink alcohol were mainly instigated by social factors such as the pressure to fit in and identify with fellow peers. Amongst girls, the causal factor to drink alcohol was influenced by the male partners who in most cases introduced them to drinking. According to Kuntsche et al. (2006), later at age 25 years old, young adults, both boys and girls, consumed alcohol as an incentive to cope with what they felt as hardening life moments such as difficulties in studies and finding employment coupled with complications in relationships and pressure from society to take adulthood roles and conform. The study investigated the dynamics of drinking motives across different ages. The results elaborate that the percentage of young adults representing coping incentives such as drinking to avoid stress decreased as they transited to adulthood. On the other hand, those drinking to enhance their feelings increased consumption as they adjusted to adulthood. However, personality components and drinking motives were found to interrelate in shaping the lives of the young adults. The findings conclude that drinking of alcohol by young teens was particularly a constructed feeling to acquire preferred moods and acknowledgment from peers (Kuntsche et al., 2006).

Critique of the research methods and generalizations

The reference article indicates that an appropriate and careful analysis was done by reaching the young adult population both directly and indirectly through their parents, teachers, and friends. This aspect ensured that comprehensive data was availed independent of bias and underreporting. Alcohol habits were reported by the young adults through interviews and filling of questionnaires. Personality characteristics were obtained from the parents and fellow students particularly those who reported that they had never been involved in substance use. Teachers gave information on how they rated the influence of substance use to the shaping of the traits of the abusers as students. The young adults gave details on regularity of their consumption, the types of alcohol they consumed, whether beer or strong spirits, and the motives behind substance use. They also gave reports on how they felt and acted when under influence of alcohol. The parents, fellow students, and friends were in the best positions to tell how the young adults behaved or reiterated after substance use especially to the immediate environment. This aspect showed whether their personalities were admirable or intolerable when drunk. Teachers gave an account on how substance use was affecting the performance of the students as well as their general relation with fellow peers and non-peers such as the teachers.

The targeted population of the young adults was well incorporated and timely in understanding of personalities, since this phase is a fundamental stage when young adults are met with tough decisions concerning their present and future lives. The majority of substance users at the age bracket of 18-25 years are perceived to be in a relatively grown age and capable of making rationalized decisions concerning their lives. However, their adjustment at this point is less dependent on early developmental challenges and the intellectual composition is high in most cases. During young adulthood, alcohol consumers in their initial stages of consumption were seen to have terrible personalities, such as aloofness and unpleasant characteristics. The same group of consumers exhibited more composed personalities when not under influence of alcohol. These changing characteristics were only acknowledged by members who engaged in alcohol consumption. The groups that had been involved in alcohol consumption for longer periods were observed to be in good positions to factor out the desired behavior in different environments. They were observed to exhibit changing behavior in different localities. For instance, when around people that they respected, they could compose themselves and pretend to conform to the set expectations (Biegel, Katz-Saltzman, Meeks, Brown & Tracy, 2010). For these reasons, psychological knowledge incorporated in this study has sought to develop tests to examine or assess different personalities. However, the ability to cope did not change the social identification of the group as deviant.

Nevertheless, the research method employed had several shortcomings since the study was cross-sectional, and thus it covered a limited representative subset of the young population. However, it is difficult to relate causation to the associations established in substance use and personality characteristics. This assertion means that a longitudinal study is essential in the future to create a broad knowledge and close the gaps that might be identified in this study by articulating causality within personality and consumption of alcohol among the young population. The study also ignored the impact of early childhood experiences on the adjustment and development during late adolescent and early adulthood. Such experiences may involve having alcoholic caregivers who might have induced substance use to their kids at tender age either directly or indirectly. The research article has only focused on the substance users by exploring their undesirable traits, whilst ignoring the factors that lead to the social factors.

During adolescence and adjusting to early adulthood, the young population is faced with several challenges, which in most cases are not given the required attention. This study did not consider that young adults face challenges whilst coping with the pressures arising from several quarters. Although young adults especially students have improved capacity to manage time and counter pressure, at times the roles overwhelm them. Some students have to take part time jobs to supplement their social life and at the same time, they have to read for exams and the pressure mounts when the society expects students to perform excellently. These students end up taking alcohol to relieve the stress (Kuntsche et al., 2006). This paper failed to address such issues by assuming that the challenges are developmental, hence difficult to change the situation in young adulthood. However, young adults may find themselves enclosed in unconscious states and if not directed, it might be hard to get out of such situations.

Relationship of the study to the personality theories

In establishing the link between the personality development and the research article, this paper explores the forces and factors that determine or shape one’s personality. The study seeks to answer whether one’s personality is an aspect acquired through nature or nurture. Whether personality is induced by unconscious factors such as substance use or whether personality changes in respect to development and adjustment, viz. from childhood, through adolescence, to adulthood. With a keen reference to the models of consciousness, this paper will unlock the secrets behind alcohol consumption concerning the consumer’s personality. Consciousness is the state of full awakening of the mind and the body of an individual (Ryckman, 2013). The effect of some external stimuli such as alcohol is identified in this paper as manipulative, and thus it inhibits the different states of consciousness. The effects of external stimuli present an altered response, thus influencing one’s personality negatively.

According to Kuntsche (2006), the study suggests that the majority of the young adults engage in substance use mainly for self-enhancement reasons. Such reasons include perceived achievement of happiness, sensation-seeking traits, and taking full control of oneself. Some of the personality theories describe this scenario as achieving happy personality. However, psychologists define personality to involve the factors of humanity that are in most cases consistent and predictable. For instance, if an individual is violent today, there is a high likelihood that tomorrow he or she will portray the same habits. Earlier, this paper identified that young adults who drink alcohol have altered and unpredictable personalities. For instance, when they are drunk, they tend to be aggressive and unpleasant. The same individuals, when sober, normally exhibit good and admirable characters. Although this aspect does not necessarily describe their personalities, largely it affects what other people think of them. Nonetheless, if the young adults are exposed to alcohol consumption for a prolonged period, then this environment might be manipulative (Kuntsche et al., 2006). Such a person ends up showing aggression in several different situations and s/he may act similarly even when not under the influence of alcohol.

Referring to the social learning theory, the study of groups is used in determining an individual’s behavior. The peer pressure to drink alcohol becomes a nurtured trait among young individuals. This study concluded that despite the uniqueness in each individual’s personality, the external environment has potential influence to alter a given personality. For example, most young adults have been identified to go out to drink alcohol only when they are in the company of their friends. Very few cases of individuals like taking alcohol from their houses alone.

This study expressed minimal concerns about the contributions of nature, viz. biological traits. The paper indicated that young men are more prevalent to changing their personalities as compared to their female counterparts since they engage in alcohol consumption for long periods. This aspect has little to do with the physical appearance of men or women. The determining factor remains as social learning through societal constructions, which prohibit women from taking alcohol (Kuntsche et al., 2006). This assertion means that the physical appearance cannot describe individual’s personality substantially. For instance, researchers cannot claim that masculine bodies represent aggression or feminine bodies underscore happiness. However, the claim that biological trait models make the assumption that the physical appearance of a person is associated with certain attributes has minimal application to this study. However, a question arises whilst seeking to figure out whether the change of behavior is influenced or changed by one of the biological traits. Conventionally, this assumption cannot hold as only a minimal attachment of body physique can be associated with personal temperaments, and but the association is only constructed. For instance, if a stout person acts aggressively today and a different stout person acts in the similar way, then the people around will form the impression that stout people are aggressive and the opposite might be perceived as true.

In the case of alcohol consumers who want to forget stressful moments or find happiness, this study generalizes that the operant, which is an induced stimulus, helps in the creation of a temporary personality about what consumers perceive. However, the opposite is that other people will not see the abusers’ current behavior as conforming. Although, at the age past adolescence young adults are self-actualized and responsive, the environment around has the potential of altering an individual’s personality (Kuntsche et al., 2006).

Relevance of the study to personal life and personality

The association between substance use across the young population and personality traits is highly amplified in the contemporary society. However, this paper points to the indirect personal relations to the research findings. This assertion means that the impacts of alcohol consumption indicated earlier in this paper do not directly match personal experiences and opinions. Despite the prevalence of alcohol consumption among the young population, this aspect does not qualify every young person to engage in the act. On the contrary, they should stay vigilant of the peers that they associate with as they grow. Personal experience on alcohol is only theoretical, but not practical in any way. The theoretical aspect of the experience helps to generate useful insights and sensitization to secure the young population that is yet to engage in substance use. The findings and generalizations of the study empowers the young and vulnerable population with insights on what harm this external stimulus can manifest to people’s lives if they are not vigilant enough when deciding on their peer associations both in school and at homes (Biegel et al., 2010).

The developmental and adjustment model is suitable in elaborating why this study, albeit relevant, does not affect personal life directly. This section seeks to show that the social learning theory is relevant since it traces young adulthood from early childhood experiences. Parent-child relationship is assessed and determined to have contributed to personal experiences in avoiding substance use and personality problems. Warm parent-child relationship is central in ensuring that the child develops self-esteem. This aspect helps the child to develop a strong personality, which is characterized with good moods and responsive interactions with other people (Biegel et al., 2010). This aspects helps in avoiding consequences of negative traits resulting from poor parenting since the degree of individuals’ actions is not constant, but it is subject to the changing environment. Even though the effect of parental care does not solely determine the adjustment to adulthood, the big role it plays cannot be understated. Personal life experiences have been substantially decided partially with the influence of the past.

This article provides an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of fellow peers who engage in substance use. Since an individual’s personality is well described by the perceptions of other people, this study clarifies that avoiding alcohol use is highly desirable to the society. Alcohol alters the conscious being by instigating false insinuations, which lead people to unconscious states, thus making irrational decisions on sensitive matters at times. On a personal perspective, parental good care can be associated with the well-developed sense of self-worth and the ability to alleviate the negative feelings about oneself. However, by interacting indirectly with students involved in alcohol consumption and observing the difference between the consumers and non-consumers of alcohol, it is easy to identify differences in their traits. The changing personalities of the consumers do not always result in poor performances either academically or socially. However, it was evident that lack of consistency in behavior resulted in the lack of trust and responsibility. This study matched well by nurturing good motives and it tailored preferred interventions against extravert boys’ sensations and neurotic girls who drink beer to fit in their different groups (Biegel et al., 2010).

Conclusion

In a bid to understand different personalities among young adults, a close examination should first be done to establish their immediate environment and the potential to alter behavior. The external factors should be assessed to establish the extent to which the external stimulus can affect the lives of the young population. Of particular interests, drinking motives create the basis for alcohol consumption among young populations. Therefore, this aspect implies that measures to counter the situation of substance use such as prevention programs for at-risk young population, should focus on alleviating the drinking motives first. Since every individual has a unique personality, and even peer drinkers show varying associational difficulties such as adjusting, preventive measures should be tailored to fit each individual’s problems. This analysis figured out that drinking incentives vary by gender and age. This information should assist in planning the best prevention approach for a specific gender and certain ages.

References

Biegel, E., Katz-Saltzman, S., Meeks, D., Brown, S., & Tracy, E. (2010). Predictors of Depressive Symptomatology in Family Caregivers of Women with Substance Use Disorders or Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders. Journal of Family Social Work, 13(2), 25-44.

Kuntsche, E., Knibbe, R., Gmel, G., & Engels, R. (2006). Who drinks and why? A review of socio-demographic, personality, and contextual issues behind the drinking motives in young people. Addictive Behaviors, 31, 1844-1857.

Ryckman, R. (2013). Theories of personality (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

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