Alcohol and aggression: A meta-analysis on the moderating effects of inhibitory cues, triggering events, and self-focused attention.
Abstract
The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies to investigate 2 explanations of how alcohol increases aggression by decreasing sensitivity to cues that inhibit it. Both the level of anxiety and inhibition conflict moderated the difference between the aggressive behavior of sober and intoxicated participants, but neither level adequately accounted for variation in effect sizes. Additional analyses of 3 social psychological moderating variables-provocation, frustration, and self-focused attention-showed that the aggressiveness of intoxicated participants relative to sober ones increased as a function of frustration but decreased as a function of provocation and self-focused attention. The authors also examined the moderating effects of dose.
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Alcohol frequently acts as a "situational amplifier", magnifying preexisting tendencies toward aggression in individuals characterized by impulsivity, emotional lability, low frustration tolerance, or externalizing psychopathology.
“Alcohol frequently acts as a “situational amplifier”, magnifying preexisting tendencies toward aggression in individuals characterized by impulsivity, emotional lability, low frustration tolerance, or externalizing psychopathology (Bushman and Cooper 1990; Ito et al. 1996; Giancola et al. 2002; Graham et al. 2011; Heinz et al. 2011; Leonard And Quigley 2017; Parrott And Eckhardt 2018).”
From Decoding the bidirectional links between alcohol misuse and aggression: toward a unified translational framework (2026) · cites this paper as Ito et al. 1996
The impact of alcohol use on violence is mediated by other variables, including culture.
“the impact of alcohol use on violence is mediated by other variables 342, 343, including by culture 344.”
From The relationship between different dimensions of alcohol use and the burden of disease—an update (2017) · cites this paper as [343]
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References 140 · Cited by 364
- Authors
- Ito, T. A., Miller, N., & Pollock, V. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 1996-07
- Volume
- 120
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 60-82
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2016031657
- Cited by
- 364
- References
- 140
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 5.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k02aa000146-03)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (KO2-AA0146, R01-AA0803)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Keywords
- alcohol and aggression, inhibitory control, anxiety, frustration, provocation, self-focus, alcohol dose, poisoning
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Alcohol Drinking, Alcoholic Intoxication, Attention, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Frustration, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Internal-External Control, Motivation, Social Environment, Violence
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