The relationship between alcohol intoxication and power in real-life non-alcoholic couples

Thirty real life couples were randomly assigned to one of three groups, a control group, a men drink group (only men drinking alcohol), or a women drink group (only women drinking alcohol). The purpose was to test whether alcohol intoxication leads to shifts in power among men and women using an estimation task together with a measure of power fantasies. Men were more powerful in terms of outcome both in the control group and the women drink group, but women became more powerful when men drink. Responsibility aspects of the process follow this pattern and the process becomes more complex when women drink. Men over-estimate their influence especially as far as process is concerned. Power fantasies decrease for both men and women only when women drink. It is suggested that sex role stereotyping can explain the findings.