The specific aim of the proposed project is to examine alcohol's involvement in the decision to drive when intoxicated, using an experimental design. Participants will drink either an alcoholic, non- alcoholic, or a placebo beverage, then read a vignette in which the main character needs to decide whether or not to drive after drinking. There are 3 versions of the vignette, which vary cues which encourage or discourage the actor to drive. Participants will evaluate the character's intentions and attitudes about drinking and driving, as well as their own intentions and attitudes if they were in the same situation. Based on theories of alcohol's pharmacological effects on cognitive processing (Steele & Josephs, 1990; Taylor & Chermack, 1993) and alcohol expectancies (Pernanen, 1993), both alcohol consumption and alcohol expectancy set effects will be examined. The roles of individual differences in cognitive functioning and individually-held alcohol expectancies will also be investigated. Results will contribute to theories of alcohol's effects on human thinking and behavior, as well as to programming to prevent driving when intoxicated.
