Effects of alcohol intoxication and aggressivity on aggressive verbalizations during anger arousal

Abstract

We examined the moderating effect of dispositional aggressivity on the relationship between alcohol intoxication and aggressive verbalizations. Using a laboratory anger-induction task that simulated an interpersonal conflict as a method to assess aggressive verbalizations (the articulated thoughts in simulated situations paradigm), 70 participants (33 women, 37 men) consumed either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, and then imagined a series of audiorecorded interpersonal scenarios. Two blind-to-condition raters assessed the frequency of participants' aggressive verbalizations (insults, aggressive threats, belligerent provocations) articulated during anger arousal. Aggressivity was assessed using a standard measure of dispositional aggression. Results supported the aggressivity moderation hypothesis: intoxicated participants high in aggressivity responded with significantly more aggressive verbalizations relative to low-aggressivity participants regardless of beverage condition, and three times more aggressive verbalizations relative to the high-aggressivity/placebo group. There were no gender effects. These data support the hypothesis that alcohol potentiates aggression primarily among individuals at dispositional risk for engaging in such a behavior. Aggr. Behav. 34:428-436, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Can college students use emotion regulation strategies to alter intimate partner aggression-risk behaviors? An examination using I³ theory.

“…Consistent with a prior study that used the ATSS paradigm to examine aggression among men and women (Eckhardt & Crane, 2008), results did not reveal a significant main effect for gender, χ 2 (1) = .68, p = .41, nor interactive effects between gender and IPA status, χ 2 (1) = .84, p = .36, gender and emotion regulation condition, χ 2 (2) = 2.97, p = .23, or gender, IPA status, and emotion regulation condition, χ 2 (2) = .95, p = .62. Therefore, data for men and women were examined collectively; however, a main effect of gender was included as a control when examining study hypotheses to reduce any potential biases (however small) within the analyses.…”

Effects of Administered Alcohol on Intimate Partner Interactions in a Conflict Resolution Paradigm

“…There were no alcohol effects for nonviolent men. Similarly, alcohol increased aggressive verbalizations among men and women high in but not those low in dispositional aggression (Eckhardt and Crane, 2008). Although these studies did not involve actual couple interaction, they suggest that alcohol consumption may increase aggression toward a partner, at least among those predisposed toward aggression.…”

“…Laboratory analog studies suggest that alcohol increases negativity (Eckhardt and Crane, 2008;Leonard and Roberts, 1998). These effects may be exacerbated when both partners are drinking; however, to date no study has considered the effects of congruent drinking within a confl ict resolution paradigm.…”

Aggressive Personality: The Use of a New Self-Report Measure Built from Justification Mechanisms

“…In fact, the literature confirms a causal relationship with alcohol consumption predicting aggressive behavior (Bushman & Cooper, 1990;Hull & Bond, 1986;Ito, Miller, & Pollock, 1996;Steele & Southwick, 1985). Also, the literature shows that alcohol consumption increases aggressive behavior for individuals higher on trait aggression (Bailey & Taylor, 1991;Eckhardt & Crane, 2008;Giancola, 2002a;Giancola, Godlaski, & Parrott, 2006;Moeller, Dougherty, Lane, Steinberg, & Cherek, 1998). Thus, besides determining convergent validity of the new measure via correlational analyses, using this variable as a criterion in MHMR analyses may be one of the limitations of this study.…”

“…In comparison with others, this variable has arguably received the most empirical attention as a potential risk factor for alcoholrelated violent behavior. Specifically, laboratory studies have consistently shown that acute alcohol intoxication increases aggressive behavior to a greater extent among individuals who report higher, in relation to lower, levels of trait aggression (Bailey & Taylor, 1991;Eckhardt & Crane, 2008;Giancola, 2002a;Giancola, Godlaski, & Parrott, 2006;Moeller, Dougherty, Lane, Steinberg, & Cherek, 1998). Also, alcohol consumption has been found to increase aggression more for individuals who have aggressive dispositions (Bailey and Taylor, 1991;Giancola, 2002a) and who are prone to anger (Giancola, 2002b;Parrott & Giancola, 2004;Parrott & Zeichner, 2002).…”