Modification of the balanced-placebo design for use at high blood alcohol levels

One hundred seventy-nine volunteer male subjects participated in a test of a modified version of the balanced-placebo design at clinically significant B.A.L.s (.081-.105 mg/dl). Half of these subjects were given dose and instructions according to a standard balanced-placebo design; the others received active placebos where appropriate, and instructions tailored to accomodate the mismatch between dose and expectancy. A measure of subjective intoxication was taken after a forty-minute drinking period, and again thirty minutes later. The results showed the modified balanced placebo design to be superior to the standard approach in creating subjective intoxication consistent with instructions and stable over time. An attributional formulation of the results is offered and the modified balanced-placebo design is advanced as an alternative particularly useful for the investigation of dose/expectancy effects at high B.A.L.s.