Zucker (2008), in his argument for adopting a developmental perspective to understand the relationship between undercontrol/externalizing symptoms and problem drinking, also considers these traits to be largely non-gender specific. Existing studies have either not found a gender difference in behavioral undercontrol – problem-drinking relationship (3 of 6 studies - examined), or that the relationship between predictor and drinking outcome is strongly influenced by the specific predictor variable used to assess externalizing behavior, the particular developmental stage being investigated, and cognitions associated with the risk behavior (Dubow, Boxer, & Huesmann, 2008; Englund, Egeland, Oliva, & Collins, 2008; Fischer & Smith, 2007; Maggs, Patrick, & Feinstein, 2008; Merline, Jager, & Schulenberg, 2008; Peck, Vida, & Eccles, 2008; Pitkanen, Kokko, & Pulkkinen, 2008). These findings do not provide proof of increased alcoholism risk for one sex, but instead suggest a dynamic relationship between personality factors and alcohol involvement for both male and female adolescents.
