Effect of alcohol and risk of physical harm on human physical aggression

Forty male undergraduate students ingested either a high dose of alcohol or a placebo and were provided with feedback regarding their risk of receiving electric shock from an opponent in a competitive reaction-time situation. Intoxicated subjects (blood concentration of 96mg/dL) responded more aggressively than did the sober subjects on measures of physical aggression. Results indicated that the feedback manipulation had no effect on the aggressive responses of the intoxicated subjects. The findings are discussed in terms of current cognitive models of alcohol-related aggression.