Alcohol and aggression in a group interaction.
Forty-four volunteer male subjects participated in groups of four along with two experimental confederates in a group interaction after consuming either 1.32 mg/kg of 95% USP alcohol or placebo. According to a balanced-placebo design, subjects were told they were either consuming alcohol or placebo. The task of one confederate was to initiate conversation and distract subjects from monitoring their state of intoxication while the second confederate's role was to antagonize subjects at a prescribed time. Sessions were videotaped and rated for frequency of positive and negative interactions and subjects completed rating scales evaluating each other. The results failed to show an expectancy effect on any measures; however, there was an alcohol effect seen in an increase in negative interactions as well as positive interactions and a significant expectancy X alcohol interaction for negative ratings of the provocative confederate. In those groups where the manipulation matched the expectation, alcohol-told alcohol and placebo-told placebo the confederate was seen more negatively than in the mixed groups. An attributional explanation for the results is offered and the generality of the alcohol-expectancy phenomenon questioned.
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D003071:Cognition; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male
D000431:Ethanol