TOO MUCH IS TOO MUCH

Too much alcohol can temporarily alter your personality. Some people turn mean and nasty. Others become sweet and docile. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia wanted to classify libation-induced personalities in order to categorize different "types" of drinkers--well beyond the "good drunk" and the "bad drunk." "Some people are known to get angry and violent, careless and irresponsible, or weepy and inconsolable when drinking, and it is often what earns them the label of being a 'problem drinker,'" explains study leader Rachel Winograd. "However, until now, there has been no empirical investigation into the unique types of personality-like changes that people undergo when drinking." Winograd's team developed four distinct personality types based on how the students acted in terms of four classic personality traits -- agreeableness, conscientiousness, intellect and extroversion -- after binge drinking. The results:

42 percent: Ernest Hemingway
These drunks can imbibe a large quantity of liquor and show minimal signs of intoxication or change in personality.

23 percent: Mr. Hyde
They are the angry drunks, becoming less responsible and more hostile after imbibing.

20 percent: Nutty Professor
They are shy and introverted when sober and quite extroverted when drunk. Liquor dramatically alters their personality, allowing them to shed most of their inhibitions.

15 percent: Mary Poppins
When sober, they have an agreeable, outgoing and sweet personality, and liquor only makes them more kind and happy.

So what? By describing how personality is affected by binge drinking, researchers can develop terms to help guide interventions for those abusing alcohol and possibly struggling with alcohol-related addiction, according to Winograd.