4 Types of Drunks: "Hemingway," "Mary Poppins," "Mr. Hyde," "the Nutty Professor"

This article describes a response by college student researchers looking for empirical evidence about drunks - and finding no evidence.  

However, finding drunks was easy.  I'll twist off to that.  PB
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From Real Clear Science online:

Are there truly "types of drunks"?

The landscape of published scientific literature was similarly barren.

[College researchers] couldn't find a single empirical study on the matter, so they formulated their own. 

It would be the first attempt to scientifically identify drunk personality types.

The work began where many psychology studies often do: in an introductory psychology class.

187 pairs of "drinking buddies" were recruited via email and invited into the laboratory, where -- in strict confidence -- they individually completed surveys covering their background, drinking behavior, and personality, both sober and drunk.

Each participant also described the personality and drinking behavior of their "buddy."

Were there common trends buried in the responses?

Indeed there were. Four distinct clusters emerged, representing the sought-after "drunk types."


1. They dubbed the first "Hemingway."

"Specifically, members of this group reported decreasing less in Conscientiousness (e.g. being prepared, organized, prompt) and Intellect (e.g. understanding abstract ideas, being imaginative) than the rest of the sample," the authors wrote, "much like the author Ernest Hemingway, who claimed that he could ‘‘drink hells any amount of whiskey without getting drunk.’’"


2. "Mary Poppins."

The least prevalent type, and mostly female, it described people who were particularly agreeable when sober and who remained agreeable when intoxicated.

"The Mary Poppins group of drinkers essentially captures the sweet, responsible drinkers who experience fewer alcohol-related problems compared to those most affected," the researchers described.


3. "Mr. Hyde."

Members of this group -- surprisingly about two-thirds female -- were defined by "larger than average intoxication-related decreases in Conscientiousness, Intellect and Agreeableness."

"Members of this group, much like the dark-sided Mr. Hyde, reported a tendency of being particularly less responsible, less intellectual, and more hostile when under the influence of alcohol than they are when they are sober," the authors wrote, further adding that "Mr. Hydes" were more likely to incur harm from drinking, like experiencing a memory blackout, getting arrested, or sustaining an injury.


4.  "The Nutty Professor."

About 50-50 male and female, this type described subjects who tended to be introverted when sober but became extroverts when drunk, similar to how Professor Sherman Klump transformed into Buddy Love in the movie of the same name.
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Link: http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2015/05/these_are_the_four_types_of_drunks_according_to_science.html