title: The balanced placebo design: effects of alcohol and beverage instructions cannot be independently assessed.
abstract: Subjects were randomly assigned to the four cells of the balanced placebo design, with 10 males and 10 females per cell. Following told-alcohol or told-no alcohol beverage instruction manipulations, participants consumed either a vodka-tonic beverage containing a dose of vodka sufficient to induce a peak blood alcohol level of 0.05% or a beverage containing only tonic water. Subjects' self-report ratings of beverage alcohol content indicated that alcohol overrode the effects of beverage instructions in the told-tonic/given-alcohol condition. It was concluded that the design cannot independently evaluate effects of both alcohol and beverage instructions when behaviorally significant alcohol doses are administered.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lyvers
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maltzman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007721:Knowledge of Results, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012718:Set, Psychology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol