title: Women's drinking decisions in sexually risky situations: Effects of a low level of intoxication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol administration studies assessing alcohol's deleterious effects on women's threat perception and response in potential sexual assault situations usually employ a moderate to high dose (.07% BAC or more) and measure alcohol's effects specifically on women's sexual decisions. The current study used a low dose (.03%, equivalent to about 1-2 drinks) to assess women's projected decisions on a different risky behavior: decisions to continue drinking and to drink higher amounts in a series of ecologically-valid sexual risk situations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young adult women (n=17; M age=21.8, SD=1.3, range 21-25) participated in a three-session double-blind within subjects 2 (type of scenario)×3( beverage) experiment, responding each time to 6 vignettes with an attractive man who was either Familiar or had Just Met her. In each session participants consumed a beverage (alcohol, placebo or water, random order) and projected emotional reactions and drinking decisions (likelihood and amount) in each of the 6 scenarios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regardless of beverage, women predicted greater happiness, drinking likelihood, and drinking amount with "Familiar" men. However, there was also an interaction: they projected increased subsequent amounts in the .03% BAC (vs. water and placebo) condition differentially in the "Familiar" scenarios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the woman is Familiar with the man in a risky sexual situation, just one drink may increase subsequent projected alcohol amount over that originally intended. Implications include a low dose as a possible prime for more drinking, increasing sexual assault risk.
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States. Electronic address: noeln@uncw.edu.
authors: Nora E
authors: NE
authors: Noel
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
authors: Karen A
authors: KA
authors: Daniels
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
authors: Richard L
authors: RL
authors: Ogle
authors: Syracuse University, United States.
authors: Stephen A
authors: SA
authors: Maisto
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
authors: Jackson
authors: J
authors: Lee A
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
authors: Sarah J
authors: SJ
authors: Ehlke
authors: University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
authors: Mallorie G
authors: MG
authors: Carroll
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol administration; Scenarios; Unwanted sex; Young adult women