Alcohol-Induced Stimulation and Sedation: Relation to Physical Aggression

The relation between the stimulating and the sedating effects of acute alcohol consumption on human physical aggression was examined. Sixty male social drinkers were assigned to either an alcohol or a sober group. Aggression was measured using a modified version of S. Taylor's (1967) aggression paradigm, in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggression was operationalized as the intensity and the duration of the shocks selected. Stimulation and sedation were measured using a self-report inventory. Results demonstrated that stimulation was positively related to aggression, but only in the intoxicated state. Sedation was not related to aggression in either the intoxicated or the sober state.