Beer Goggles: Blood Alcohol Concentration in Relation to Attractiveness Ratings for Unfamiliar Opposite Sex Faces in Naturalistic Settings

ABSTRACT

The popular notion that alcohol intoxication enhances perceptions of the physical attractiveness of the opposite sex has been inconsistently supported. The current study tested intoxicated and non-intoxicated persons of both genders in naturalistic settings after measuring their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by a breath test. A sample of 80 heterosexual university student social drinkers was recruited at a campus pub and campus parties over a 3-month period to take a survey rating the attractiveness of unfamiliar faces of the opposite gender presented in photographs. Attractiveness ratings were positively correlated with BAC. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on attractiveness ratings with independent variables of gender and BAC group, with three levels of the latter: non-intoxicated (BAC = 0), moderately intoxicated (BAC .01%–.09%), and highly intoxicated (BAC .10%–.19%). Both intoxicated groups gave significantly higher attractiveness ratings than non-intoxicated controls. The findings confirm the “beer goggles” phenomenon of folk psychology for both genders, although the mechanism remains unclear.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• attraction
• health
• safety

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shanti Sundram

Michael Lyvers has done extensive work pertaining to the role of frontal lobe related processes in addictions as well as in acute intoxication for a variety of substances. Other research interests include neuropsychology and consciousness. He obtained his PhD at UCLA in 1989 and is currently Associate Professor of Psychology at Bond University. Emma Cholakians, Megan Puorro, and Shanti Sundram obtained their Postgraduate Diplomas of Psychology after completing thesis work on this project.