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Is Cognitive Impairment Related to Violations of Rationality? A Laboratory Alcohol Intoxication Study Testing
Clintin P Davis-Stober1, Denis M McCarthy1, Daniel R Cavagnaro2
1University of Missouri.
Decision (Washington, D.C.)
|July 23, 2021
Summary
Alcohol intoxication does not significantly affect rational decision-making transitivity for most individuals. However, some may alter lottery perceptions and preferences under alcohol influence, impacting their decision structures.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Decision science
Background:
- Alcohol intoxication is known to impair cognitive functions essential for decision-making.
- Rational decision-making relies on properties like transitivity of preference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if alcohol intoxication affects an individual's adherence to the transitivity of preference, a fundamental aspect of rational decision-making.
- To differentiate between stable, error-prone preferences and variable, error-free preferences in the context of alcohol consumption.
Main Methods:
- Within-subjects study design.
- Analysis distinguishing stable versus variable preferences.
- Assessment of transitivity of preference under alcohol intoxication.
Main Results:
- Alcohol intoxication did not significantly impact the majority of subjects' adherence to transitivity of preference.
- A minority of individuals showed altered selection and perception of lotteries with similar attributes due to alcohol.
- These alterations in perception led to changes in preference structures for some individuals.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol intoxication does not appear to be a primary factor in violating the transitivity of preference for most people.
- For a subset of individuals, alcohol can influence decision-making by altering the perception of and selection among lotteries.
- The impact of alcohol on decision-making is nuanced, affecting preference structures in specific circumstances and individuals.
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