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Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Published on: February 6, 2019

Alcohol myopia and goal commitment.

A Timur Sevincer¹, Gabriele Oettingen²

¹Psychology Department, University of Hamburg Hamburg, Germany.

Frontiers in Psychology

|March 14, 2014

Summary

Alcohol myopia theory suggests acute alcohol intake increases focus on desirable goals, not feasibility. This intoxication-driven goal commitment fades upon sobriety, indicating alcohol

Keywords:

alcohol intake alcohol myopia desirability expectations feasibility goal commitment incentive value motivation

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Behavioral Science

Background:

Alcohol myopia theory posits acute alcohol intoxication narrows attentional focus.
This narrowed focus may impact decision-making, particularly regarding goals.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how acute alcohol consumption influences goal commitment.
To examine the mediating role of attention (desirability vs. feasibility) in this effect.

Main Methods:

Review of studies examining alcohol's effects on goal commitment.
Experimental manipulation of goal feasibility salience in intoxicated participants.

Main Results:

Intoxicated participants showed high goal commitment despite low feasibility, driven by focus on desirability.
This commitment diminished upon sobriety, and when low feasibility was highlighted.
Alcohol myopia theory explains this effect by altered attention to goal attributes.

Conclusions:

Acute alcohol intake can create a temporary, myopia-driven increase in goal commitment.
This effect is transient and dependent on the attentional biases induced by intoxication.
Findings have implications for understanding alcohol's impact on behavior and decision-making.