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Effects of Alcohol on Human Aggression

Validity of Proposed Explanations

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Recent Developments in Alcoholism

Part of the book series: Recent Development in Alcoholism ((RDIA,volume 13))

Abstract

In the present review, meta-analytic procedures were used to test the validity of three explanations of alcohol-related aggression: physiological disinhibition, expectancy, and indirect cause. According to the physiological disinhibition explanation, alcohol increases aggression directly by anesthetizing the center of the brain that normally inhibits aggressive responding. According to the expectancy explanation, alcohol increases aggression because people expect it to. According to the indirect cause explanation, alcohol increases aggression by causing changes within the person that increase the probability of aggression (e.g., by reducing intellectual functioning). The results from the review were inconsistent with the physiological disinhibition and expectancy explanations, but were consistent with the indirect cause explanation. Experimental manipulations that increased aggression (e.g., provocations, frustrations, aggressive cues) had a stronger effect on intoxicated participants than on sober partici pants.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011-3180

    Brad J. Bushman

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  1. Brad J. Bushman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

    Marc Galanter

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© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Bushman, B.J. (2002). Effects of Alcohol on Human Aggression. In: Galanter, M., et al. Recent Developments in Alcoholism. Recent Development in Alcoholism, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47141-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47141-8_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-45358-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47141-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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