Drink upOne study by Gueguen et al. (2004) observed that higher sound levels lead to people drinking more. In a new study published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, does back up the idea that people do, at least partly, drink because they can''t talk to each other. Perhaps further studies comparing lone drinkers with dyads and bigger groups would confirm or disprove this idea.

Whatever the real reason, or combination of reasons, this kind of study is very persuasive about the causal correlation between louder music and more drinking because the experimenters have taken the time to go to a bar, set up the random experimental manipulation and then actually observe people to see what they do in a real live environment.

On top of that, from the point of the view of the participant, I think it would definitely enhance your night-out to find out that you''d been inadvertently furthering psychological science by sinking a few cold ones. Or is that just the researcher (or beer-drinker) in me coming out?

[Image credits: john and Thomas Hawk].

Posted by: Jerry    Source

---