RUNNING HEAD: ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

Alcoholism Skipping Generations

Cameron Shull
Research 1
Chapin High School
1 May 2015

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

ABSTRACT
The hypothesis is that people will be more likely to have an alcohol dependency if
someone in their family does also and that it will skip generations more often than not. This
research was conducted by creating a survey asking if the survey taker was an alcoholic and who
in their family had/is an alcoholic, the survey was then put on social media. The data that was
collected went against the hypothesis in that the results were that it tended to not skip generations
when it did run in the family. Some results were not able to be used due to the person who took it
being underage. Many results were unable to be used because the alcoholism didnt run in the
survey takers family. For the future of the project, more results are going to be obtained.
Statistics have been done that prove my hypothesis wrong. In the results where the results
werent included for where alcoholism didnt run in the family, it skipped generations 22.7%
while it didnt skip 77.3%. For the survey results, 48.8% of the survey takers didnt have
alcoholism running in their family at all.

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT.2
INTRODUCTION...4
BACKGROUND.....4
PROCEDURE..4
RESULTS....5
CONCLUSION....7
APPENDIX..7
CITATIONS....8

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

INTRODUCTION
The hypothesis of the study was that alcoholism would skip generations more often than
not, skipping generations means that it can be in one generation and appear in another
generation, just not the one directly after it. The purpose was to see how often alcoholism would
skip. My study was done through a survey being created and being distributed on Facebook.
After results received, analysis was done.
BACKGROUND
The definition of alcoholism is a chronic and often progressive disease that includes
problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol
even when it causes problems, having to drink more to get the same effect (physical
dependence), or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. If you
have alcoholism, you can't consistently predict how much you'll drink, how long you'll drink, or
what consequences will occur from your drinking by the Mayo Clinic Twin studies have been
done that show that identical twins are 4 times more likely to show their tendencies of
alcoholism when their biological parents are alcoholics. Boys are 18% more likely to get
alcoholism which is 4 times more likely than others. Kids who are adopted by non-alcoholics
will still have the genetic predisposition for alcoholism. The University of Pennsylvania Health
System has determined that it is not one specific gene that controls alcoholism, but a multitude of
genes that all have to carry over.
PROCEDURE

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

A survey was created that asked questions including gender, age, if they are/ have been an
alcoholic, and who in their family is/was an alcoholic. The survey was distributed on many
Facebooks to try to obtain results. 53 results were received, 3 of them being unable to use due to
the survey taker being under 18.

RESULTS
The results that were obtained proved the hypothesis wrong. The results showed that
alcoholism does not skip as much as the hypothesis said. More results could have been obtained
but not enough people would respond to the survey.

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

The Alcoholism Skipping as a Whole includes data points that didnt further the study. The
section N/A means that alcoholism either only showed up once in their family or not at all so it
couldnt be determined whether the hypothesis was wrong or correct. The chart only including
the yes and nos, shows that the hypothesis was wrong. It shows that 76% of the results it didnt
skip and only 24% did skip.

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

The project could go further by obtaining more results. Also, finding out why it did or did
not skip. People can still have the predisposition but some choose not to drink because they dont
want to become an alcoholic. The researcher assumed that one of the reasons it would skip is
because if people grew up in alcoholic households, that they wouldnt want their family to be in
that same position. Further research would be finding out the age that people became alcoholics.
CONCLUSION
The hypothesis was proven wrong. Some things that were learned were that people dont
answer surveys which can set the researcher back when they are trying to obtain results.
APPENDIX

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

CITATIONS
Family History and Genetics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2014, from https://ncadd.org/forparents-overview/family-history-and-genetics/226-family-history-and-genetics

ALCOHOLISM SKIPPING GENERATIONS

Alcoholism: Nature vs. Nurture. (2011). KSU Alcohol and Other Drug Education
Service,54(Spring 2011). Retrieved November 7, 2014,
from http://www.kstate.edu/counseling/student/aodes_news/sp11vol54.pdf
Genetics Increase Your Risk of Alcoholism? (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2014,
from http://www.futuresofpalmbeach.com/alcoholism/genetics-increase-your-risk/
Does Alcoholism Skip a Generation? - Luxury Drug & Alcohol Rehab Center. (2013, October 1).
Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://www.luxuryrehabcenter.com/blog/alcoholismskip-generation/
Alcoholism. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/alcoholism/basics/definition/con-20020866