Citation

Ben-Porath DD, Taylor SP. Addict. Behav. 2002; 27(2): 167-177.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118-4581, USA. dbenporath@jcu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11817760

Abstract

Sixty male subjects with self-reported high, moderate, and low aggressive dispositions were given the opportunity to aggress, by administering electric shocks, against an increasingly provocative fictitious opponent within the context of a competitive reaction time task. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) 10 mg of diazepam or (2) placebo. Results indicated that diazepam-intoxicated subjects aggressed by selecting the highest shock setting (10) more frequently than did nonintoxicated subjects. High hostile subjects were also more influenced by the aggression-enhancing effects of diazepam than moderate and low hostile subjects. Benzodiazepine-facilitated aggression is discussed in the context of individual differences and the importance for physicians to assess a patient's disposition prior to prescribing such medication.

Language: en