Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Alcohol consumption is associated with an interaction between DRD2 exon 8 A/A genotype and self-directedness in males
Michael Lucht1, Sven Barnow, Winnie Schroeder
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanse-Klinikum Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany. lucht@uni-greifswald.de
Background:
Both reduced postsynaptic dopamine D(2) receptor function and the character variable self-directedness (SDD) are related to the level of alcohol consumption. We examined for interactions between DRD2 exon 8(rs6276), a polymorphism which has been associated with various alcohol-related phenotypes, SDD and alcohol consumption.
Methods:
A total of 144 male and 186 female probands with alcohol dependence or abuse diagnoses and without were included in the study. All subjects were assessed with the alcohol section of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism and the Temperament and Character Inventory.
Results:
Male probands with A/A genotype reported significantly higher alcohol consumption in a typical week (ANOVA; p = 0.024); those with A/A genotype and low SDD showed particularly high consumption levels (interaction DRD2 x SDD: p = 0.019). Alcohol dependence/abuse (DSM-IV) but not nicotine dependence was also relevant for higher alcohol consumption (trend: p = 0.052). In the female group, only alcohol disorders predicted alcohol consumption.
Conclusions:
Our findings support a role for a gene-personality interaction of DRD2 exon 8 x SDD in alcohol consumption in males.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Hypothesis Test for Test of Independence
H0: The two variables (factors)...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...

