Skin conductance as a function of alcohol during motor approach towards a noxious goal

During hand movement towards a goal involving electric shock, increased SCR amplitudes were observed for increased threat. In the presence as well as in the absence of alcohol, shock probabilities of 0.50 and 1.00 induced stronger SCRs than no-shock control conditions. The outcome was related to behavioural measures of hesitation where an alcohol dose of 0.9 g/kg reduced hesitation significantly. It was concluded that the cognitive appraisal of threat remained unaffected by alcohol, whereas fear as reflected by hesitation was reduced. A highly significant decrease in SCR latency was observed under alcohol conditions ( p <0.001). Twelve volunteer S s served as their own controls in the alcohol/placebo X shock probabilities X replicates design.     

Alcohol and eye contact

The effects of alcohol (0.9 g ethanol/kg body weight) on mood and eye contact were studied in male and female subjects engaged in dyadic interaction with unfamiliar, continuously gazing like-sex or opposite-sex interviewers. Thirty-two volunteer students served as unpaid subjects in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design with four subjects per cell. Significant subjective increases in affiliative mood were observed in male as well as in female subjects at a mean BAC of 1.08 ± 0.12 g/l. Significant interactive effects were observed as functions of the sex of the subject and interviewer with alcohol/placebo treatment in analyses of pretreatment/post treatment change for two measures of gaze duration. The results were discussed in terms of the Argyle-Dean conflict model and it was concluded that alcohol did not induce the net approach gain expected as a result of increased affiliation and/or reduced interpersonal avoidance. Sober subjects tended to look at their like-sex interviewers more and drunk subjects less, the trend being particularly evident in female subjects. It was suggested that the effects of alcohol on eye contact may be strongly associated with sex-roles.     

Alcohol and previous acquaintance: Mood and social interactions in small groups

The effects of alcohol (0.75 g/kg) on qualitative and quantitative aspects of verbal interaction and self-reported mood were studied in small groups of either strangers or acquaintances. Four groups consisting of two male and two female subjects were observed during discussion of a film topic. Significantly more verbal activity was observed as a function of alcohol ( p <0.01), consistent with self-reported euphoria, affiliative moods, and reduced social anxiety. Bales IPA data indicated that more negative emotions were expressed ( p <0.05) and more assertive communications were delivered as part of the generally increased verbal activity under alcohol conditions. Although alcohol and previous acquaintance tended to alter mood ratings in similar ways, alcohol was clearly the more powerful agent. Alcohol increased both total verbal activity and the output of more self-disclosing or provoking verbal responses. Although acquaintance alone had neither of these effects, it tended to promote the increase in verbal activity produced by alcohol.     

The effects of alcohol and variable amount of cognitive stress on the estimation of time

Abstract.— The estimated durations of 4 standard intervals, 3, 5, 7, and 9 sec, and of the total experimental period, 11.5 min, were studied (a) in the absence of stress, during the rising and falling blood alcohol level phases, and (b) in situations involving variables stress (maximum, control, and anti-stress). Alcohol was found to lead to underestimation (a verbal estimate smaller than a given standard) in the absence of stress, but did not affect the estimates when stress was involved. A pronounced central effect was found under maximal stress which was not affected by alcohol. Ss under stress tended to overestimate the length of the experiment when compared to Ss under anti-stress. The Ss rated their current mood on 16 variables, but no significant effects could be related to their time estimates.     

DREAM DIAGNOSTICS: FRITZ MORGENTHALER'S WORK ON DREAMS

The unique approach to dreams of Swiss psychoanalyst Fritz Morgenthaler (1919–1984) is presented and discussed. Although rarely discussed in the English‐speaking psychoanalytic world, this approach is very alive in German‐speaking countries. Focusing on the distinction between the remembered hallucinatory experience of dreamers and the event of telling dreams within psychoanalytic sessions, Morgenthaler made two major innovations: first, he proposed a new understanding and handling of associations to dreams, and second, he offered what he called dream diagnostics as an instrument with which to integrate both resistance and transference into clinical work with dreams.