Now that you have completed Chapter 9, take your learning a step further by testing your critical thinking skills on this scientific reasoning exercise.
Psychologists have long recognized a two-way association between alcohol consumption and violent or aggressive behavior. Not only may drinking alcohol promote increased aggressiveness, but being the victim of aggression may also lead to excessive alcohol consumption. What might account for this two-way relationship? Could it be biologically, psychologically, or socially based? Although psychologists do not yet have all the answers, new research is providing important insights into this problem. This exercise examines the topic of alcohol consumption and aggression. The first set of questions requires you to think critically and independently about the topic. Answer the following questions on your own.
It is possible that alcohol might encourage aggression or violence by exerting a direct effect on the body—for example, by weakening brain mechanisms that normally restrain impulsive behaviors such as aggression. As a researcher, how could you test this hypothesis in an ethical and socially acceptable manner?
Some scientists believe that alcohol may promote aggressive behavior in some people by impairing information processing, which would cause, for example, a narrowing of attention or misjudgment of social cues. As a researcher, how might you test this theory?
A third hypothesis is that alcohol consumption might promote aggression because people expect it to. As a researcher, how might you test the impact of social and cultural expectancies on aggression?
Now, complete this exercise by going to the following Web site: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/.
Compare your answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 to the information provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. What actual research evidence supports the direct effects hypothesis? The information-processing hypothesis? The social and cultural expectancies hypothesis?