A Study of the Early Environment of Workhouse Inmate Alcoholics and its Relationship to Adult Behavior

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Abstract
Two experiments were conducted with county workhouse alcoholics and matched non-alcoholic controls in order to investigate the relationship between characteristics of important persons encountered by the subjects in the 1st ten years of life and adult behavior. The method used for gathering the data was interview of the subject based on specially devised scales which required that the interviewer obtain actual incidents of behavior by these persons toward the subject. The interview data were rated on a 3 point scale ranging from behavior in accordance with expectancy, for the status of the person rated, to marked deviation from expectancy. These ratings were applied to a number of specified behaviors (variables) exhibited by grandparents, parents, siblings and peers. In addition to these ratings the subjects were interviewed to determine the extent to which their current needs were being met. Results indicated that the alcoholics were experiencing deprivation of current need satisfaction, when contrasted with their controls. The relationship between early experiences and current functioning was substantial. These findings are consistent with the effects of early stimulus deprivation reported in animal studies.

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