Alcohol and intentions to engage in risky health-related behaviors: Experimental evidence for a causal relationship

Then is a common assumption that alcohol is a general disinhibitor, sometimes causing people to be more relaxed and outgoing, and sometimes causing antisocial behavior. Prior research has shown that alcohol is associated with numerous harmful behaviors that an costly to individuals and to society. Most of this research, however, has been correlational; thus, the nature of the relationship between alcohol and risky behaviors is not clear. In this chapter, we review experimental evidence demonstrating that alcohol intoxication can cause greater intentions to engage in risky health-related behaviors, such as drinking and driving, or having unprotected sexual intercourse. We hypothesize that the mechanism underlying the relationship between alcohol and intentions to engage in risky behavior is alcohol myopia (Steele & Josephs, 1990). Alcohol intoxication restricts cognitive capacity, so that people attend to the most salient cues in a situation. Implications of this theoretical perspective for designing effective change programs are discussed.