Just thinking about alcohol increases aggression - even without drinking any.
Several studies have found exposure to alcohol-related cues in one’s immediate environment can increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
A paper published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin adds to this evidence, reporting that even a subliminal reference to drinking may make one more likely to harm another human.
Researchers found test participants unscrambled aggression-related words more rapidly following a quick-flash, 300-millisecond exposure to a photo of an alcohol bottle.
This effect — which suggests aggressive thoughts had been activated and were easily accessible — was just as strong as it was in a second group of people, who were briefly exposed to a photo of a weapon.
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