Self-focused attention reduces self-injurious behavior in alcohol-intoxicated men.
Both chronic alcohol use and acute intoxication are risk factors for self-aggression (i.e., intentional self-injury) across the spectrum of lethality. Studies designed to identify a cause-and-effect relation between alcohol intoxication and self-aggression, or the factors that facilitate or mitigate this effect, are rare due to the inherent difficulty of studying self-injurious behavior experimentally. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate that alcohol intoxication leads to heightened self-injurious behavior, and that enhanced self-focused attention (self-awareness) attenuates this effect. Specifically, 40 men consumed either alcohol (mean Blood Alcohol Concentration [BAC] = .10) or a veridical control drink, and then completed a laboratory task designed to assess self-injurious behavior. Self-focused attention was experimentally enhanced in half the participants in each drink condition. Results support the notion that prevention and intervention programs designed to reduce intentional self-injurious behaviors should include components that address alcohol misuse and self-awareness.
Berman
Mitchell E
ME
Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406-5025, USA. Mitchell.Berman@usm.edu
Bradley
Tiffany P
TP
Fanning
Jennifer R
JR
McCloskey
Michael S
MS
D000328:Adult; D020751:Alcohol-Induced Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D012647:Self-Assessment; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*