Cloninger’s alcoholism typology
a two-part classification for distinguishing different types of persons with alcohol dependence. Type 1 individuals tend to start problem drinking after age 25, experience alcohol dependence that is more psychological than physiological, and feel guilty for drinking. Type 2 individuals start problem drinking at a younger age, are more likely to have family members with substance abuse problems, and tend to have more behavioral problems. The two types have also been found to differ in personality traits; for example, Type 1 alcoholics are more often harm avoidant (see Cloninger’s psychobiological model of personality). These types are sometimes considered representative of either end of a continuum rather than as discrete groups. [developed by U.S. psychiatrist and geneticist C. Robert Cloninger (1944– )]