DECISION-THEORY AND THE SALE OF ALCOHOL

Two studies examined the role of representativeness in determining the legal age of customers seeking to purchase alcohol. In Study 1, subjects were presented with a series of common grocery products along with an alcoholic beverage and a shopper. Results indicated that products which cued an older consumer produced higher age estimates of the shopper and decreased the likelihood that they would be asked to provide proof of legal age. Study 2 extended these findings in two important ways: (a) The target was presented as either a college student or parent and (b) individual differences in self-consciousness were related to susceptibility to manipulations of representativeness. Results indicated that the parent/student manipulation affected both the decision to request identification and age estimates of the target. Age estimations were positively related to individual differences in public self-consciousness, whereas the decision to request identification depended upon individual levels of social anxiety and private self-consciousness. Implications of these data for restricting access to alcohol among minors are considered.