Fillmore M T, Vogel-Sprott M
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
J Stud Alcohol. 1995 Jan;56(1):90-8. doi: 10.15288/jsa.1995.56.90.
Two experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the amount of alcohol-induced impairment that a drinker expects will predict his response to alcohol and to placebo.
Social drinkers (N = 81) were familiarized with a laboratory motor skill task before they rated the amount of impairment on the task that they expected from a moderate dose of alcohol. The degree of change in the subjects' performance was measured during an alcohol session and a subsequent session where alcohol was expected but a placebo was received.
Subjects who expected greater impairment displayed poorer performance under alcohol (0.35 g/kg) and under placebo.
This evidence calls attention to the importance of expectancies as a factor that may contribute to the understanding of individual differences in behavior under alcohol and a placebo.
