TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol consumption increases attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex faces
T2 - a possible third route to risky sex
AU - Jones, Barry T.
AU - Jones, Ben C.
AU - Thomas, Andy P.
AU - Piper, Jessica
PY - 2003/8/1
Y1 - 2003/8/1
N2 - Aims: To measure the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on males' and females' attractiveness ratings of unfamiliar male and female faces. Participants: Eighty undergraduate volunteers were used in each of three experiments. Design: Participants' ratings on a 1-7 scale was the dependent variable. A three-factor mixed design was used. For experiments 1 and 2: one within-factor, sex-of-face to be rated (male/female); two between-factors, sex-of-rater (male/female) and alcohol status of rater (0 UK units/1-6 UK units). For experiment 3, the two levels of sex-of-face were replaced by two levels of a non-face object. In experiment 1, the faces were rated for attractiveness; in experiment 2, the faces were rated for distinctiveness and in experiment 3, the non-face objects were rated for attractiveness. Setting: Quiet, prepared corners of bars and licensed eating areas on a civic university campus. Method: For each experiment, 118 full-colour photographic images were presented randomly on a laptop computer screen, each remaining until a rating response was made. Findings: There was a significant alcohol consumption enhancement effect only for attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex faces in experiment 1. This indicates that the opposite-sex enhancement effect is not due simply to alcohol consumption causing the use of higher points of ratings scales, in general. Conclusion: Since Agocha & Cooper have shown that the likelihood of intentions to engage in risky sex increases as the facial attractiveness of the potential sexual partner increases, through the opposite-sex enhancement effect we identify a new possible link between risky sex and alcohol consumption.
AB - Aims: To measure the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on males' and females' attractiveness ratings of unfamiliar male and female faces. Participants: Eighty undergraduate volunteers were used in each of three experiments. Design: Participants' ratings on a 1-7 scale was the dependent variable. A three-factor mixed design was used. For experiments 1 and 2: one within-factor, sex-of-face to be rated (male/female); two between-factors, sex-of-rater (male/female) and alcohol status of rater (0 UK units/1-6 UK units). For experiment 3, the two levels of sex-of-face were replaced by two levels of a non-face object. In experiment 1, the faces were rated for attractiveness; in experiment 2, the faces were rated for distinctiveness and in experiment 3, the non-face objects were rated for attractiveness. Setting: Quiet, prepared corners of bars and licensed eating areas on a civic university campus. Method: For each experiment, 118 full-colour photographic images were presented randomly on a laptop computer screen, each remaining until a rating response was made. Findings: There was a significant alcohol consumption enhancement effect only for attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex faces in experiment 1. This indicates that the opposite-sex enhancement effect is not due simply to alcohol consumption causing the use of higher points of ratings scales, in general. Conclusion: Since Agocha & Cooper have shown that the likelihood of intentions to engage in risky sex increases as the facial attractiveness of the potential sexual partner increases, through the opposite-sex enhancement effect we identify a new possible link between risky sex and alcohol consumption.
KW - alcohol expectancy
KW - alcohol myopia
KW - facial attractiveness
KW - nucleus accumbens
KW - risky sex
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0041703226&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00426.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00426.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 12873241
AN - SCOPUS:0041703226
VL - 98
SP - 1069
EP - 1075
JO - Addiction
JF - Addiction
SN - 0965-2140
IS - 8
ER -