The Impact of Explicit Aggressive and Implicit Nonaggressive Cues on Aggression in Intoxicated and Sober Males
This study examined the impact of explicit aggressive and nonaggressive cues and implicit nonaggressive cues on aggression in intoxicated and sober male subjects. Forty-eight subjects randomly assigned in a 2 x 2 factorial design competed in a reaction time task with a simulated opponent. Alcohol subjects received 1.25 g of ethanol/kg of body weight, while no-alcohol subjects received no beverage. Half of the subjects heard the opponent express an intention to set the highest shock for the subject (explicit aggressive cue), and half heard him express an intention to set the lowest shock (explicit nonaggressive cue). After Trial 1, all subjects saw that the opponent had set the lowest shock setting (implicit nonaggressive cue). Intoxicated and sober subjects did not differ on Trial 1. Following the implicit cue, intoxicated/aggressive cue subjects were more aggressive than sober/aggressive cue subjects. Within the alcohol groups, subjects with higher blood alcohol levels were more responsive to the explicit cue provided. The results support attentional and information-processing models of alcohol and aggression.