Social correlates of drinking in contrived situations.

This chapter reviews the literature on experimentally created drinking situations with humans. In these experiments, social factors have been alternatively investigated as the dependent and independent variables. The findings of several studies assessing the impact of elements in the drinking environment are summarized. The effects of solitary drinking vs. group drinking have been covered and illustrate the quantitative and qualitative responses elicited. An aspect of this review examines studies that attribute behaviorally integrating effects to alcohol when the beverage is incorporated into certain therapeutic settings. Also illustrated are studies that have attempted to influence drinking behavior in alcoholics by using social contingencies.