Because of the cross-sectional nature of these data, multiple explanations for the association between positive daily experiences and alcohol dependence among men with the high-risk genotype are possible. It is likely that alcohol dependence would lead to a decrease in positive daily experiences for affected individuals (i.e. reverse causation). Likewise, individuals with the high risk genotype might experience fewer positive daily events than those with the low risk genotype because of personality or temperamental characteristics associated with that genotype. We note that there is no association between alcohol dependence and positive daily events for women. If alcohol dependence caused lower levels of positive daily experiences in this sample, this pattern is inconsistent with existing research suggesting that women with alcohol dependence experienced more alcohol related problems than men (Fillmore et al. 1997; Martino et al. 2004; Nolen-Hoeksema and Hilt 2006). However, it is possible that personality characteristics associated with the high risk genotype are gender-specific.
