Proponents of an unitary concept of alcoholism as a disease support a single approach to treatment. In contrast, advocates of a multidimensional perspective argue the need for differential treatment or client-treatment matching, that is tailored to the specific subtypes. Alcohol dependency can have both a strong unidimensional structure at a higher level of abstraction, while exhibiting a rich multidimensional structure at a primary level of measurement. A computer model using the mathematics of chaos theory that would allow one to simulate the relative influences of genetic and environmental influences on the development of different types of alcohol dependence in a population. Random or chaotic influences can exert a dramatic effect on whether a given individual will or will not develop problems related to drinking. 11 references.