title: The moderating effect of stimulus attractiveness on the effect of alcohol consumption on attractiveness ratings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the enhancing effect of alcohol consumption on attractiveness ratings, in that few studies on the Beer Goggles effect control the stimuli attractiveness level and researchers have seldom considered extending the effect to stimuli other than faces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female participants (n = 103) were randomly assigned to alcohol consumption or placebo groups. Both groups were asked to assess the attractiveness of two types of pictures (faces and landscapes) with three levels of attractiveness for each stimulus category (high, moderate and low).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant interactions between beverage type and attractiveness level. Attractiveness ratings for moderate- and low-attractiveness faces were significantly higher in the alcohol compared with placebo condition, while there was no significant difference for high-attractiveness stimuli between these two conditions. As for landscapes, only low-attractiveness stimuli were rated significantly higher in the alcohol condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whether or not alcohol consumption leads to an increase in attractiveness ratings depends on the initial attractiveness of the stimulus materials. Alcohol consumption tends to affect ratings for stimuli with relatively low attractiveness. Furthermore, this effect is not limited to faces; it extends to other types of stimuli like landscapes.
authors.affiliation: Center of Studies for Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China Center for Metal Health Research, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China Center for Metal Health Research, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China Center for Metal Health Research, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Center of Studies for Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China cyg1001@swu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Youguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001504:Beauty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult