title: Indirect effects of acute alcohol intoxication on sexual risk-taking: The roles of subjective and physiological sexual arousal.
abstract: Three experiments supported the idea that alcohol fosters sexual risk-taking in men and women, in part, through its effects on sexual arousal. In Experiment 1, increasing alcohol dosage (target blood alcohol levels of .00, .04, .08%) heightened men's and women's risk-taking intentions. Alcohol's effect was indirect via increased subjective sexual arousal; also, men exhibited greater risk-taking than women. In Experiment 2, an extended dosage range (target blood alcohol levels of .00, .06, .08, .10%) heightened men's risk-taking intentions. Alcohol's effect again was indirect via subjective arousal. Physiological sexual arousal, which was unaffected by alcohol, increased risk-taking via increased subjective arousal. In Experiment 3, alcohol increased women's risk-taking indirectly via subjective arousal, but alcohol-attenuated physiological arousal had no effect on risk-taking. Implications for alcohol myopia theory and prevention interventions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-1525, USA. bgeorge@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Kelly Cue
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Julia R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heiman
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stoner
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Schacht
authors.forename: Christian S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hendershot
authors.forename: Kelly F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Kajumulo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010991:Plethysmography; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol