title: Effects of alcohol intoxication and autonomic arousal on delay discounting and risky sex in young adult heterosexual men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between alcohol use and risky sexual behavior is complex and depends on psychological and environmental factors. The alcohol myopia model predicts that, due to alcohol's impact on attention, the behavior of intoxicated individuals will become increasingly directed by salient cues. Autonomic arousal (AA) may have a similar effect on attention. Experiential delay discounting (DD) may be increased by both alcohol consumption and AA due to their common effects and may mediate the relationship between these conditions and risky sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study employed a 3 (alcohol, placebo, control)×2 (high, low arousal) experimental design to examine the effects of acute alcohol intoxication and AA on experiential delay discounting, subjective sexual arousal, and risky sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Path models revealed complex results that only partially supported study hypotheses. Ratings of subjective sexual arousal did not differ across either beverage or arousal conditions. DD was also unrelated to any study variable. However, subjective sexual arousal was positively related to risky sexual intentions. Alcohol intoxication was also positively associated with increased unprotected sex intentions, consistent with past studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results affirm the role of subjective sexual arousal and alcohol intoxication in risky sexual decision-making, yielding effect sizes similar to comparable past studies. The lack of differences across autonomic arousal groups also suggests that effects of attentional myopia may be behavior-specific. Failure to replicate effects of alcohol intoxication on DD also suggests reservation regarding its involvement in alcohol-involved risky sex.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States. Electronic address: tyler_wray@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Tyler B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Wray
authors.affiliation: University of South Dakota, Department of Psychology, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, United States. Electronic address: jeffrey.simons@usd.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.affiliation: Syracuse University, Department of Psychology, 900 S. Crouse Ave., Syracuse, NY 13244, United States. Electronic address: samaisto@syr.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maisto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Condoms; Drinking behavior; Sexual behavior; Unsafe sex