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Too Insensitive to Care: Alcohol Increases Human Aggression by Increasing Pain Threshold.

C Nathan DeWall1, Peter R Giancola2, Brad J Bushman3

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Alcohol consumption increases aggression by raising pain thresholds. This study found that individuals who drank alcohol experienced less pain and subsequently inflicted more pain on others, demonstrating a link between alcohol, pain perception, and aggression.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Alcohol consumption is historically linked to pain reduction.
  • Previous studies indicate alcohol raises pain thresholds and pain thresholds correlate with aggression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if increased pain threshold mediates the relationship between alcohol consumption and aggression.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments (N=543, N=327) with heavy social drinkers randomly assigned to alcohol or placebo.
  • Participants underwent stepwise electric shocks to determine pain threshold.
  • Aggression was measured by delivering electric shocks to an opponent after winning a reaction time task.

Main Results:

  • Alcohol consumption significantly increased pain threshold compared to placebo.
  • Lower self-perceived pain correlated with higher aggression levels.
  • Findings were consistent across both experiments.

Conclusions:

  • Alcohol intoxication partially increases aggression by elevating pain thresholds.
  • This provides a potential mechanism explaining alcohol-related aggression.