Citation

Zeichner A, Giancola PR, Allen JD. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 1995; 19(4): 977-983.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-3013, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7485849

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the stress-response-dampening (SRD) effect of alcohol in hostile and nonhostile men based on a combined score of four subscales of the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. Subjects were 72 male social drinkers. Subjects' cardiac interbeat-interval, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure reactivity to a situational stressor were measured following the consumption of either alcohol, no alcohol, or an active placebo beverage. Results demonstrated that hostile men evinced lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity to the stressor when given alcohol, compared with intoxicated nonhostile subjects, and lower reactivity relative to all other groups, with the exception of SBP in the nonhostile controls. These results allow for speculation that hostile men may be more likely than controls to experience possible SRD effects of alcohol and thus, perhaps, be predisposed to increased alcohol consumption when under stress.

Language: en