Wine and Male Physical Aggression

Twenty male undergraduates were randomly assigned either to a wine-drinking group or a control group. The alcohol dose was 0.8 ml. of pure alcohol/kg. body weight. They were tested for physical aggression in a modified version of the Buss' “aggression machine.” All subjects were tested under frustrating and non-frustrating conditions. Alcohol did not increase aggression under any of these conditions although the paradigm produces increased aggression when vodka is used as an intoxicant. The results were discussed in terms of differential expectancies tied to different types of beverages.