Verbal expectancies and performance after alcohol.

New verbal expectancies about the effects of alcohol were experimentally induced in subjects by suggesting in writing and verbally that food had positive, negative, or neutral effects on performance after alcohol. Subjects (n = 120, male) received this suggestion, food (fed or fasted), and alcohol (alcohol or placebo) in a between-subjects design. Alcohol impaired reaction time and tracking (with a secondary reaction-time task). Food reduced this impairment. The verbal expectancy manipulation had no effect on performance, although it had a marginally significant effect on rated ability to perform. It is concluded that verbal expectancy effects about alcohol influence verbal or social behaviours more easily than cognitive processes.