Effects of alcohol intoxication and aggressivity on aggressive verbalizations during anger arousal.
We examined the moderating effect of dispositional aggressivity on the relationship between alcohol intoxication and aggressive verbalizations. Using a laboratory anger-induction task that simulated an interpersonal conflict as a method to assess aggressive verbalizations (the articulated thoughts in simulated situations paradigm), 70 participants (33 women, 37 men) consumed either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, and then imagined a series of audiorecorded interpersonal scenarios. Two blind-to-condition raters assessed the frequency of participants' aggressive verbalizations (insults, aggressive threats, belligerent provocations) articulated during anger arousal. Aggressivity was assessed using a standard measure of dispositional aggression. Results supported the aggressivity moderation hypothesis: intoxicated participants high in aggressivity responded with significantly more aggressive verbalizations relative to low-aggressivity participants regardless of beverage condition, and three times more aggressive verbalizations relative to the high-aggressivity/placebo group. There were no gender effects. These data support the hypothesis that alcohol potentiates aggression primarily among individuals at dispositional risk for engaging in such a behavior. Aggr. Behav. 34:428-436, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Eckhardt
Christopher I
CI
Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. eckhardt@psych.purdue.edu
Crane
Cory
C
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D001143:Arousal; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology