Expectancies about alcohol-induced motor impairment predict individual differences in responses to alcohol and placebo.
OBJECTIVE
Two experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the amount of alcohol-induced impairment that a drinker expects will predict his response to alcohol and to placebo.


METHODS
Social drinkers (N = 81) were familiarized with a laboratory motor skill task before they rated the amount of impairment on the task that they expected from a moderate dose of alcohol. The degree of change in the subjects' performance was measured during an alcohol session and a subsequent session where alcohol was expected but a placebo was received.


RESULTS
Subjects who expected greater impairment displayed poorer performance under alcohol (0.35 g/kg) and under placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
This evidence calls attention to the importance of expectancies as a factor that may contribute to the understanding of individual differences in behavior under alcohol and a placebo.
Fillmore
M T
MT
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Vogel-Sprott
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007721:Knowledge of Results, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects; D015990:Placebo Effect; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012718:Set, Psychology
D000431:Ethanol