Alcohol and Inhibition
Fillmore and Weafer (2004) found that men lost inhibitions more quickly than women under the influence of the same amount of alcohol (adjusted for weight, and matched by blood alcohol content) in a cued go/no-go task. A BBC News (2004) story about the study explains: "men's loss of inhibition was three times greater than women's with the same blood alcohol levels." The authors feel this may explain increased aggression in men under the influenced of alcohol; they are less able to control their reactions. Marczinksi and Fillmore (2005) found that individual differences, not sex differences, predicted how well people were able to compensate when they expected to be impaired.
Fillmore's results seem to be contradictory to earlier findings by Mulvihill et al (1997) who found no effect of gender on a "go-stop" task meant to test response inhibition. Curtin and Fairchild (2003) also did not find a gender interaction with alcohol-reduced inhibition on a Stroop test.
It's been suggested on more than one occasion that my inhibitions don't particularly need lowering. I've known people who use alcohol to lower their inhibitions on purpose, and the concept of "liquid courage" bothers me. Ernest Hemingway is credited with saying "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." It seems like good advice to me.
Fillmore's results seem to be contradictory to earlier findings by Mulvihill et al (1997) who found no effect of gender on a "go-stop" task meant to test response inhibition. Curtin and Fairchild (2003) also did not find a gender interaction with alcohol-reduced inhibition on a Stroop test.
It's been suggested on more than one occasion that my inhibitions don't particularly need lowering. I've known people who use alcohol to lower their inhibitions on purpose, and the concept of "liquid courage" bothers me. Ernest Hemingway is credited with saying "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." It seems like good advice to me.