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The Effect of Alcohol Intoxication on Primary and Secondary Processes in Male Social Drinkers
Author(s) -
GUSTAFSON ROLAND,
KÄLLMÉN HÅKAN
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb03933.x
Subject(s) - psychology , alcohol intoxication , pleasure , disinhibition , clinical psychology , alcohol , developmental psychology , placebo , locus of control , closeness , cognition , perception , poison control , injury prevention , psychiatry , medicine , psychotherapist , medical emergency , mathematical analysis , biochemistry , chemistry , alternative medicine , mathematics , pathology , neuroscience
Summary The acute effects of alcohol intoxication on cognitive style and on locus of control was investigated in an experimental setting. Sixty male subjects were randomly assigned to either an Alcohol, a Placebo, or a Control group. The alcohol dose was 1.0 ml of 100% alcohol/kg body weight. Subjects filled out a modified version of Rotter's locus of control scale and reported their perceptions to Street's Gestalt Completion Test. The latter test was scored in a standardized way for stimulus closeness, indicating a reality oriented and rational functioning, and stimulus distance, indicating a more primitive, irrational and pleasure oriented functioning. Alcohol made subjects less internally controlled and decreased the reality oriented functioning while the pleasure oriented functioning was not affected. Results were discussed in terms of pharmacological mechanisms, disinhibition, and creativity.