Contrary to popular belief, consuming alcohol may not lead to “beer goggles,” where others appear more attractive. New research suggests that alcohol consumption does not make people seem more attractive but may give individuals the confidence to approach those whom they already find attractive.
Past studies that supported the idea of “beer goggles” showed inconclusive results and typically involved participants drinking alone. Molly Bowdring from Stanford University and Michael Sayette from the University of Pittsburgh wanted to study this concept in a more social setting. They recruited 18 pairs of heterosexual male friends for their experiment.
In the study, the participants first rated the attractiveness of 16 women they did not know, based on photos and videos. They then selected four women they would like to meet, understanding that it might happen in a future study. Next, the men were given cranberry juice without alcohol and later asked to rate the attractiveness of the same group of women and decide whom they would most like to meet.
The experiment was repeated on a different day, with the men assessing another group of 16 women. This time, they were given a cocktail of cranberry juice and vodka, containing enough alcohol to reach a blood alcohol concentration of about 0.08%, which is the legal driving limit in the US. According to Bowdring, this is equivalent to consuming approximately three standard-strength vodka-based drinks.
The results showed that alcohol consumption did not impact how the men rated the women’s attractiveness. However, after consuming only cranberry juice, some of the men expressed interest in meeting women whom they did not necessarily find the most attractive. In contrast, after drinking the cocktail, they were nearly twice as likely to want to meet the women they considered the most attractive.
The researchers suggest that alcohol may help alleviate the fear of rejection when interacting with attractive individuals. Bowdring explains that for some people, interacting with attractive others can be intimidating, and alcohol might reduce that fear.
The study primarily involved white participants, both male and female. The researchers intend to repeat the experiment with a more ethnically diverse group and include heterosexual women to explore whether alcohol affects their perception of attractiveness towards men. They also plan to study individuals with non-heterosexual orientations.
Bowdring also expressed curiosity about the dosage and timing of alcohol intoxication, wondering whether they play a role in the phenomenon known as “beer goggles.”
Rebecca Monk from Edge Hill University in the UK commented that the research team added an element of realism by making participants believe they could potentially interact with the people in the photos, which previous research lacked.
