Parent and offspring alcohol use; imitative and aversive transmission.

Abstract

A survey in a small midwestern [USA] town of 1153 normal, adult drinkers showed that their drinking levels followed in a linear mode that of their recalled same-sex parents from light to heavy drinking but then dropped off when the parents'' drinking was very heavy. This nonimitation of parents occurred at sharply lower levels of parental drinking for the cross-sex offspring, i.e., when the parent was rated a light to moderate drinker. This effect varied with birth order, family composition and educational levels. Offspring drinking increased slightly when the parents were abstainers.