Reinforcing Effects of Alcohol During Group Formation

酒精在群体形成过程中的强化作用

• 批准号: 6961336
• 负责人: MICHAEL Andrew SAYETTE
• 金额: $ 22.58万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-30 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6961336
• 关键词: alcoholic beverage consumption; alcoholic beverages; alcoholism /alcohol abuse; anxiety; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; belief; clinical research; communication behavior; emotions; ethanol; face expression; gender difference; human subject; mathematical model; personality; personality tests; psychopharmacology; reinforcer; small social group; social group process; social psychology; substance abuse related behavior; video recording system; young adult human (21-34)

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Social factors play a major role in alcohol use and dependence, but researchers rarely study the effects of alcohol in group settings. This project will systematically measure the effects of alcohol on positive and negative affect and social bonding during initial group formation, and determine if persons with personality traits posing a risk for alcoholism are more sensitive to these effects. Presumably, if such persons find effects of alcohol to be more rewarding, they will become more likely to rely on alcohol to regulate affect. Many of these traits are inherently social (e.g., extroversion), and this will be the first study to test their impact on the effects of alcohol in a social setting. Seven-hundred-twenty social drinkers will be assembled into 240 three-person groups of strangers (all female groups, groups with one male and two females, groups with two males and one female, and all male groups). All members of each group will drink over 30-min a moderate dose of alcohol (males: 0.82 g/kg; females: 0.74 g/kg), a placebo, or a nonalcoholic control drink. This group drinking period will be recorded using a digital control system that synchronizes multiple streams of video as interactions unfold over time. This system enables precise analysis of the duration and sequence of selected facial expressions and speech behaviors. The project will be informed by (a) social psychological theory and research on small groups, (b) advances in the systematic measurement of observed behavior, and (c) multi-level statistical modeling techniques that account for the nonindependence of group members. We will assess a variety of individual-level responses, including facial expressions related to positive and negative affect using Ekman et al's (2002) Facial Action Coding System. We also will assess a range of group-level responses, including coordination of smiling and speech behaviors. We predict that the belief that one has consumed alcohol will enhance positive affect, reduce negative affect (e.g., social anxiety), and facilitate social bonding during initial group formation (i.e., a placebo effect). Further, we predict that actual alcohol consumption will enhance social bonding processes beyond what is found with a placebo beverage. This study will be the first with sufficient power to comprehensively examine the moderating roles of gender and personality traits on the reinforcing effects of alcohol in groups. Regardless of the outcome, the study will provide critical data regarding observable effects of alcohol on social drinkers that will help illuminate the social and emotional determinants of drinking patterns and problems for men and women.

描述（由申请人提供）：社会因素在酒精使用和依赖中发挥着重要作用，但研究人员很少研究酒精在群体环境中的影响。该项目将系统地测量酒精对初始群体形成过程中的积极和消极情感以及社会联系的影响，并确定具有酗酒风险的人格特征的人是否对这些影响更敏感。据推测，如果这些人发现酒精的作用更有价值，他们将更有可能依靠酒精来调节情绪。其中许多特征本质上是社交性的（例如外向性），这将是第一项测试它们对社交环境中酒精影响的研究。 720名社交饮酒者将被分成240个陌生人三人组（全女性组、一男二女组、两男一女组、全男性组）。每组的所有成员将在 30 分钟内饮用适量酒精（男性：0.82 克/公斤；女性：0.74 克/公斤）、安慰剂或不含酒精的对照饮料。该团体饮酒时间将使用数字控制系统进行记录，该系统会随着时间的推移随着互动的展开而同步多个视频流。该系统能够精确分析所选面部表情和言语行为的持续时间和顺序。 该项目将受益于（a）社会心理学理论和对小群体的研究，（b）对观察到的行为进行系统测量的进展，以及（c）解释群体成员非独立性的多层次统计建模技术。我们将使用 Ekman 等人 (2002) 的面部动作编码系统评估各种个人层面的反应，包括与积极和消极情绪相关的面部表情。我们还将评估一系列群体层面的反应，包括微笑和言语行为的协调。 我们预测，相信一个人饮酒会增强积极情绪，减少消极情绪（例如社交焦虑），并促进最初群体形成期间的社会联系（即安慰剂效应）。此外，我们预测，实际饮酒将增强社会联系过程，超出安慰剂饮料的效果。这项研究将是第一个有足够能力全面检验性别和人格特征对群体中酒精增强作用的调节作用的研究。无论结果如何，该研究都将提供关于酒精对社交饮酒者可观察到的影响的关键数据，这将有助于阐明男性和女性饮酒模式和问题的社会和情感决定因素。