Citation

Sayette MA, Smith DW, Breiner MJ, Wilson GT. J. Stud. Alcohol 1992; 53(6): 541-545.

Affiliation

Alcohol Behavior Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1434629

Abstract

Social drinkers were administered either an alcoholic, placebo or no-alcohol control beverage. Subjects were next informed that they were to give a self-disclosing speech about their body and physical appearance. Subjects' heart rate and videotapes of their facial expression were recorded during this instruction. Facial reactions to the stressor were analyzed using a system based on the Maximally Discriminative Facial Coding System (Izard, 1979). Subjects who were intoxicated showed significantly less negative emotion, as measured by the facial expression analysis, than those subjects consuming either the control or placebo beverage. We attribute this effect of alcohol to its actions on subjects' appraisal of anxiety-inducing information.

Language: en