An overview of a meta-analysis of current literature on Adult Children of Alcoholics.

1. Jessie Mason
EDHS 3500:
Abnormal
Psychology
MYTH: ADULT CHILDREN
OF ALCOHOLICS DISPLAY A
DISTINCTIVE PROFILE OF
SYMPTOMS

2.  Enthusiastic, positive, cheerful view of life
 Confident
 Commands respect and recognition
 Warm and cheerful glow
 Proud
 Super-achiever
 Inspiration to others
 Go out of your way to give helpful hints
 Offer genuine friendship
 Tremendous sense of loyalty in your relationships
PROFILE

4. THE BARNUM EFFECT

5.  “…personality descriptions from tests are made to fit the
patient largely or wholly by virtue of their triviality; and in
which any nontrivial, but perhaps erroneous, inferences are
hidden in a context of assertions or denials which carry high
confidence simply because of the population base rates,
regardless of the test's validity.” (Meehl, 1956)
THE BARNUM EFFECT

6.  University of Missouri: 1992
 224 subjects selected from 2,428 screenings
 Personality assessment
 Evaluation of “specific” personality profile
RESEARCH

7. BARNUM PROFILES

8. ACOA PROFILES

9.  “…lack of a reliable
interaction between Family
History and Profile
Type, indicating that the
difference between ACOA
profiles and Barnum profiles
was not different for ACOAs
and non-ACOAs.”
 “…the majority of subjects
rated the profiles as highly
descriptive of Self.”
RESULTS

10.  Although this list of “symptoms” may describe adult children
of alcoholics, it does not define them as a group.
 The personality profiles of adult children of alcoholics seem
accurate to them because they are accurate to a large number
of people in the population, some of whom happen to be adult
children of alcoholics.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?