Figure 3. Multivariate Cholesky Decomposition Conceptual Model: Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Prospective Associations between Personality and AUD From Age 17 to Age 29.

AUD = Alcohol Use Disorder symptom count. Following the same conceptual model as the bivariate decomposition, in the multivariate decomposition, variance and covariance of each phenotype is decomposed into additive genetic effects (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, shown in black), nonshared environmental effects (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, shown in dashed gray), and shared environmental effects (not shown for clarity of presentation but follow the same pattern for A and E). Paths labels are represented by lowercase letters followed by two numbers (e.g., a11, e11). Paths represent AE influence unique and common to phenotypes across time. For example, path a11 refers to additive genetic influence unique to personality at age 17. Path a21 refers to additive genetic influence common to AUD at age 17 and personality at age 17. Path a31 refers to additive genetic influence common personality at age 24 and personality at age 17, etc. Paths can be squared and summed to determine the total proportion of ACE variance explained. For example, to determine the proportion of A variance explained in AUD at age 29 by personality at age 17, path a61 would be squared then divided by all the squared and summed paths leading to Age 29 AUD (a61²/a61²+a62²+a63²+a64²+a65²+a66²).