An Experimental Investigation of Drunk Personality Using Self and Observer Reports

Abstract

Across various cultures there are robust stereotypes regarding how alcohol intoxication alters individuals' normative personalities. However, whether these stereotypes are rooted in genuine average effects or in salient, socially-proliferated exemplars remain unclear. The current study tested if differences between sober and intoxicated personality expression can be observed reliably by trained raters during a drinking episode. Participants (N = 156), half of whom received alcohol, attended laboratory sessions in same-gender friend groups and engaged in activities designed to elicit a range of personality expression. Participants completed self-reports of their "typical" sober and drunk personalities two weeks prior to their sessions and via two short measures during the session. Additionally, participants were recorded and rated by multiple (Range = 5-17) trained raters using three personality measures. Self-perceptions of sober-to-drunk personality differences were more pervasive than observer-perceptions, but alcohol-induced changes in Extraversion, specifically, were robust across measures and reporters.

Keywords: Alcohol; Drunk personality; Five-factor Model; Intergroup dynamics; Personality.

Figure 1

Flow of experiment from initial contact to end of study participation

Figure 2

Extraversion facet differences in Sober and Alcohol condition Note: ★ = Sober and Alcohol condition least squares means differ at p ≤ .01