INFLUENCES OF ALCOHOL, INTERPERSONAL FEEDBACK, AND DRINKING EXPERIENCE UPON PERFORMANCE AND JUDGMENT

The effect of alcohol, social feedback, and drinking experience on performance, performance awareness, and awareness of intoxication was studied using 24 male subjects selected on the basis of drinking experience. Twelve subjects were inexperienced drinkers; of the 12 experienced drinkers, the average drinking pattern was five or more drinks at one sitting several times per week. Subjects consumed either a placebo or an alcoholic beverage (target blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or 0.10%) over a 45-minute period prior to each of three experimental sessions. Within experienced and inexperienced groups, subjects were paired and completed a series of cognitive and psychomotor tasks. During each session, subjects evaluated both their own and their partner's performance and degree of intoxication. A series of correlations between performance or measures of blood alcohol concentration and judgments determined relative awareness. Alcohol significantly impaired performance, with inexperienced drinkers being significantly more impaired than experienced drinkers. All subjects overestimated their blood alcohol concentration, but inexperienced drinkers evaluated themselves as highly intoxicated. Subjects generally underestimated alcohol impairment, and correlations showed awareness decreased as blood alcohol concentration increased. It was determined that alcohol, drinking experience, and interpersonal feedback appear to have a major effect on performance and subjective evaluations of performance and intoxication. The influence of alcohol on performance supports generally accepted findings that increasing blood alcohol concentration impairs cognitive and psychomotor abilities. The slight tolerance for alcohol exhibited by experienced drinkers does not compensate for the markedly impairing influence of an 0.10% blood alcohol concentration.

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00391480
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Report/Paper Numbers: HS-028 828
  • Contract Numbers: PHS-R01-00697
  • Files: HSL, USDOT
  • Created Date: Dec 30 1984 12:00AM