Paradoxical Effects of Alcohol Intake in a Convivial Social Setting on Attitudes to Violence

The mechanisms by which acute alcohol intoxication results in increased violent behaviours are not fully understood. Pro-violent attitudes can act as a predictor of aggressive behaviour. It was hypothesised that alcohol intake would lead to shifts in attitudes to violence such that participants would express more pro-violent attitudes when drunk. This hypothesis was tested in two separate experiments with undergraduate students who were drinking in a familiar social setting. Results were the converse of what was predicted, in that the intake of alcohol resulted in decreased positive attitudes to violence. This attitudinal shift was accompanied by a significant increase in interference on an emotional Stroop test in response to words associated with conviviality implying that alcohol consumption did indeed result in an increase in pro-social feelings. These findings add support to the view that the effects of alcohol on behaviour are strongly influenced by situational and individual factors.