CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PSYCHOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF DRINKING AND DRIVING

ALCOHOL DOES NOT PRODUCE UNIFORM EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR. RATHER PERSONALITY, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE PEOPLE'S RESPONSE TO ALCOHOL. OTHER CHARACTERISTICS, SUCH AS AGE AND DRIVING EXPERIENCE, INFLUENCE THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON DRIVING. THE ASSUMPTION OF A LINEAR DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP, I.E. A CONSTANT CHANGE IN EFFECT FOR A CONSTANT CHANGE IN AMOUNT CONSUMED, IN NAIVE, MOREOVER, THE PHARAMACOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION THAT ALCOHOL IS A DEPRESSANT IS TRUE ONLY AT A LIMITED RANGE OF BLOOD LEVELS THAT ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THOSE PRODUCED BY COMMON SOCIAL USE. COMPLICATING THE DRINKING-DRIVING PROBLEM ARE THE UNKNOWN NUMBERS OF DRINKERS WHO ALSO USE OTHER DRUGS. CONCLUSIONS ABOUT DRUG INTERACTION (AS ADDITIVE OR SYNERGISTIC) CAN BE MADE ONLY WITH PRECISE KNOWLEDGE OF DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS OF EACH DRUG.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Supp No 4, PP 234-251, 17 REF
• Authors:
  • Carpenter, J A
• Publication Date: 1968-5

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol
  • Publisher: Rutgers University, New Brunswick

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Behavior; Blood alcohol levels; Drivers; Drugs; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Laboratory studies; Pharmacology; Psychology; Reaction time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222852
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 29 1971 12:00AM