The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on male perception of female sexual arousal in a date rape analog

• Published in: Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology Vol. 9; no. 4; p. 380
• Main Authors: Gross, A M, Bennett, T, Sloan, L, Marx, B P, Juergens, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2001
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Central Nervous System Depressants - blood; Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol - blood; Ethanol - pharmacology; Female; Humans; Male; Rape - psychology; Reaction Time - drug effects; Sexual Behavior - drug effects; Social Perception
• ISSN: 1064-1297; 1936-2293
• DOI: 10.1037/1064-1297.9.4.380

The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on men's perception of female sexual arousal and men's ability to discriminate accurately female sexual intentions in a dating situation was examined. In a 2 (alcohol) x 2 (expectancy) balanced placebo design, men were exposed to an audiotape of a date rape and asked to signal when the man should stop making sexual advances. On 4 occasions during the vignette, participants rated how sexually aroused the woman on the tape was at that moment. Relative to controls, participants who consumed alcohol or expected to consume alcohol took significantly longer to identify the inappropriateness of the man's sexual behavior toward his date. Similarly, alcohol participants also rated the woman's arousal level significantly higher at the first 2 refusals. Implications of the results are discussed.