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Petr David Josek / AP
There are weepy drinkers, inappropriately affectionate drinkers, giggly and goofy drinkers. But there's one type of reveler you really want to avoid: the angry drinker. New research suggests how to spot one.
Impulsive, live-in-the-moment types are likely to become aggressive when they're intoxicated, according to a new study from Ohio State University's Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at the school. "We already know that alcohol increases aggression. And people who have aggressive personality traits also tend not to think about the consequences of their actions," Bushman says. "You put the two together, and it's really a toxic mix."
The average age of the study's 495 volunteers was 23, all of whom described themselves as social drinkers and none of whom had any past or present drug, alcohol or psychiatric-related problems. They each took a questionnaire designed to measure which of the participants were future-focused, and which were more impulsive. Half of the volunteers were given alcohol mixed with orange juice; the other half were given orange juice with just a teensy bit of alcohol -- but researchers sprayed the rims of the glasses with alcohol so it smelled like a full-on alcoholic drink (genius).
Then they played a little game: The participants were told they were playing against an unseen same-sex opponent in a speed reaction test, and that the winner got to give the loser an electric shock -- harmless, but still a little painful. (But, actually, they were playing against the researchers themselves.) As the game wore on, the shocks got longer and more intense, making it seem like the opponent was getting meaner and meaner with every win. The more impulsive the participants had rated themselves, the more likely they were to retaliate by upping the intensity and length of the shocks they sent the "losers."
“The less people thought about the future, the more likely they were to retaliate, but especially when they were drunk. People who were present-focused and drunk shocked their opponents longer and harder than anyone else in the study,” Bushman explained. "Alcohol didn’t have much effect on the aggressiveness of people who were future-focused."
While the impulsive types who were not intoxicated did up the intensity of the shocks, it wasn't to the same degree as the impulsive folks who were drunk.
"If you carefully consider the consequences of your actions, it is unlikely getting drunk is going to make you any more aggressive than you usually are," Bushman said.
That's because alcohol is a disinhibitor, explains New York City psychiatrist and regular TODAY contributor Dr. Gail Saltz. It doesn't cause a personality trait; it reveals what's already there, hiding somewhere inside your personality. A drunk friend may appear to be acting out of character, but we don't know what that person might be keeping under wraps, Saltz explains.
Think you're only an angry drunk when you're throwing back, say, shots of tequila? It's not that simple, says Bruce Bartholow, associate professor of psychology at University of Missouri College of Arts and Sciences. (Bartholow led a study we wrote about earlier this year on alcohol and behavior.) Bartholow says there isn't much research looking at how drinking an unfamiliar type of alcohol changes cognitive function.
"There’s a social influence on your drunken behavior," Bartholow explains. "People drink different kinds of things in different situations. If you're at a dinner party at your boss's house, you're probably not going to be doing shots of tequila." There, you might be drinking a good sauvignon blanc, so you learn to associate the experience of drinking wine with mind-your-manners behavior. "There's a difference between what it feels like to be drunk off of wine and what it feels like to be drunk off of shots of tequila because the situations are vastly different," Bartholow explains.
Related:
Post-booze blackout, how people fill in the blanks
Blame it on the alcohol? Maybe not
Why do hangovers seem so much worse as we get older?
Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.
Leave a Comment:
Hello anybody remember Bipolar Disorder?
Uh, yes, but what does bipolar disorder have to do with this study?
Yes, Bipolar people are more likely to be impulsive and also more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs. So I do see the correlation that this study might not have included.
Agreed, Long haired. But, the article noted that the subjects were screened to exclude anyone who had, "any past or present drug, alcohol or psychiatric-related problems." Thus, I found ren's mention of bi-polar to be a bit of a non sequitur.
Assuming the person screened knew they we're bipolar..
Good point PDK! But the rate of undiagnosed mental illness is pretty high so I hope they did their own psychological testing to make sure. Not just relied upon each participants word.
Ah yes, looking for another excuse. Now it is bi-polar. Just like designer drugs. Excuses, excuses.
If we have truly that many mentally ill people, let's find out why instead of feeding drugs.
gdvegas - I can't say with any certainty what ren's objective was in mentioning bi-polar disorder . . . hence my question in post #1.1. You, however, seem to have an all-too-familiar ax to grind with the psychiatric profession and/or "big pharma." In which case I would again say non sequitur.
I knew a guy in my younger drinking days that was a son of a sherriff and very conservative yet when he drank he was always wanting to aggressively wrestle and pulling his penis out.
PDK
Seem a bit touchy on the subject there PDK. Not sure who has the ax to grind. The comment taken at face value
is maybe we should figure out what is causing MANY people to have mental illness. Putting our heads in the sand or ignoring that something might be amiss doesn't make it go away. Masking the number of people by feeding them drugs doesn't either.
I'm not picking on pharma, I'm simply making a comment/observation on what gdvegas stated and another view of what they appear to be stating.
I don't get to have any of this kind of fun - when I drink I fall asleep!
Apparently I am missing out on an entire world of shocking violence.
"It doesn't cause a personality trait; it reveals what's already there, hiding somewhere inside your personality."
Lol, maybe you're a closet narcoleptic...
Remember, "Friends don't let friends sleep alone."
I was a bartender in my early 20's. I could have saved them this whole study.
impatient girl... you should have applied for the grant to do the study.
I spent my 20's in a few bars and knew some great barkeeps too. Always keep an eye on the Bud drinkers ;-) I agree, the study is spot on about booze bringing out your true deep character...
Yeah. I've never been much of a drinker but I've attempted to get really drunk in hopes of finding out if I could become "out-of-control" as a sort of experiment because I was curious (I was surrounded by trusted friends of course and didn't have access to a vehicle so I wouldn't be in danger). It never happened, I went from fine to buzzed to having trouble walking to blackout (I was politely arguing some political point and I skipped a moment in time where I was suddenly still talking but at a later point in the conversation which I estimate to be around 5 minutes). Anyway, at no point did I do anything I didn't want to do. Sure, I was less coherent, coordinated but I never did anything that was out of character.
You sound like a ton of fun at a party. Seriously have been drunk only once?! Live a little girl :)
You might *think* you were in control, but Facebook begs to differ.
Yeah, guess I came off stuffy. No - I have fun a lot but prefer movies, video games or getting dinner or coffee with friends. I do drink but I like expensive beer and I'm also a terrible light-weight so I usually just drink one unless at a beer festival or touring micro-brewerys. I get drunk fast but I just don't ever do anything "crazy" and do anything I don't want to - play Foosball with strangers, pontificate the artistic merits of death-core more exuberantly and get a little more touchy then usual but nothing I regret. I also like to have some wine when i grade (I T.A.) because it makes the lab reports more tolerable and the curve a little higher.
Lab reports, ugh. I hated grading those, but the worst was proctoring at 8am on a Friday morning, especially since I didn't have classes to teach. 5am train rides are not particularly fun when you don't get home until midnight on Thursday night.
That's pretty bad. I was stupid enough to sign up to TA the earliest labs last semester and had to take the 6:00 bus every Wednesday and usually stayed till 11 but I guess I didn't have it as rough.
What are you in school for? I went for Chem, finished a about a year and a half ago.
Biology. I'm in a evolution lab using field-collected fruit flies to study adaptation. I should get my Masters with thesis this spring. Good for you finishing up - I was going to get my PhD but now I just want a job and get back to Cali.
ive always held the theory that getting drunk reveals who u are under it all. its long been known that alcohol drops those walls we put up mentally and emotionally. an angry drunk prolly carries alot of repressed anger, a sad drunk prolly hides depression, etc etc, its why i gave up drinking, dont want anyone knowing me that personally, my walls are there for a reason.
I completely agree with you! Personal experience and observation of others has shown this to be true.
"Think you're only an angry drunk when you're throwing back, say, shots of tequila? It's not that simple, says Bruce Bartholow"
Uh? Bruce? It IS that simple. I quit drinking hard liquors years ago just for that reason. A simple fact: I drink hard liquors (tequila, whiskey, rum, etc), I turn into an angry guerrilla fighter. If I just stick with beer? I turn into... an even more friendly version of myself.
In conclusion... Liquor = @zzhole, Beer = best friend and funnyman.
@Calvin - I know people who can't drink whiskey because they turn into an arse-hole every time. One guy in particular had himself tested and found out he was having an alergic reaction with whiskey that he doesn't have with other alcohol. Something having to do with the grains used to make it.
A friend of mine was upset about something her boyfriend told her about their relationship...he was never going to marry her...he was drunk at the time he told her this. (Yes, they had been together for a couple of years and had talked of marriage.)
The next day she broke down at work, and her boss took her into his office to ask what was wrong. She told him.
This was his advice: "While in Korea I was an officer in charge of a group of men. I made it a practice to have drinks with every one of them. And I never went into battle with a man I had not seen drunk."
Bottom line to his story was, "believe what someone tells you when he/she is drunk" (also his words). You'll be getting the truth and their character.
It's an interesting theory, Drezz, and I certainly think there's some merit to it. But, I also think it can be an oversimplification. That is, just because someone behaves a certain way when drunk, I don't necessarily think it's reflective of his/her "true" nature or character.
Or, perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part, since Lord knows I've done/said more than a few idiotic things in my illustrious drinking career ;)
"prolly"?? Is it that difficult to spell "probably"?
Totally agree...I see nothing wrong with a drink or two to relax...its that 20teenth beer that starts to f with you.
yes "prolly", i write how i talk, im not one to hide behind pretentious blatherings and analyze every jot and tittle of someones comment. i.e. (it means "that is" in case you didnt know) Grammer Policing is for trolls.
Again, wasted time and money. My stepfather was a mean drunk. He was controlling and bossy when not drunk. Doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a money wasting study) to figure out the connection!
hmm....my step mother was a royal jealous b*tch when she was sober...but loved me like her own child and protected me from my dad when she was drunk....beg to differ.
"There's a difference between what it feels like to be drunk off of wine and what it feels like to be drunk off of shots of tequila because the situations are vastly different," Bartholow explains.
It's more than the situation that makes the difference!
the drunks I know drink whatever alcohol they can find whenever they can get it!
Stupid people also get stupider when drunk. Oddly, smart people do not get smarter. Hmm...
Nope! But we sure think we do! :)
Amazingly enough, I even get better looking as well...
I showed up at 8, looking for a 10. I actually left with a 4 at 1.
I get funnier and more attractive to the ladies when I'm drunk.
Nah, the ladies are just drunker than you ;-P
I've found the girls don't even care if you were out in the parking lot earlier vomiting! C'mon baby, just one kiss!
ewwww
My best friend is now divorced bc she married an angry drunk. He does not drink daily, but we still consider him an alchoholic bc he cannot have just one. And when he has more than one, he goes from nice to nasty scary in zero to thirty seconds. Scary.
Alcohol Americas most dangerous drug.
Alcohol is also by far and away the biggest gateway drug, regardless what people say about marijuana, which is ridiculous. Nobody gets high and wants to try coke, people get drunk and try hard drugs.
And people recovering from other addictions almost always relapse under the influence of alcohol.
Agreed. If you can't enjoy yourself without an alcoholic beverage, it's time to reevaluate your life.
Now I know why my friends and dates always buy me drinks. I laugh at everything (sometimes until I think I will puke!), hug everyone, and on dates, I quite often get amorous! Not to mention, if you dare me to do something silly.....Oh the memories! :)
So . . . I dare you to let me buy you a drink.
;)
That's very cute....if only I was drinking! :) Merry Christmas to all, notice please, that I stress a MERRY Christmas. No one likes a sour drunk! I grew up with an angry drunk, I'm pretty careful to avoid them in my adulthood. I hate it when I see them out in public. I feel for anyone in a relationship situation like that. I only have good memories associated with going out with or without drinks, and I know it's annoying for my hubby sometimes to deal with my silliness on the occasions I drink at home. One glass and I'm doing a stand up routine...or worse yet, others are over and I stand up and declare we are now playing hide and go seek. I'm sure my children will someday be on some talk show sharing stories...thank God I'm employed and can afford the therapy, I'm sure one day they will need! Another problem with bad drunks, is they tend to drink often as well!
Dang! Foiled by my own poor syntax (haha).
My drink is Ryans (Like an irish cream but made from wiskey) vey nice drink I do not become violent or aggressive I am more docile and agreeing I prefer to do both MJ & Drink I like the feel of both, I find myself reminicing about the 70's and enjoying the music as well. Now Vodka totally different story very aggressive and yes ugly people become much more interesting and attractive I only drink martini's when I am with people I trust and no matter what I did would still love me in the moring if I can leave the toliet long enough....
I’m not an angry drunk, I'm just surrounded by idiots!
I know!! I would be much more pleasant if I wasn't surrounded by idiots.
Good information! I always assumed that it was the alcohol that made someone an angry drunk!
"alcohol increases aggression. And people who have aggressive personality traits also tend not to think about the consequences of their actions...You put the two together, and it's really a toxic mix."
No sh!t, Sherlock?!? In other Earth-shattering news, the Sun rose in the East this AM. More to follow...
One out of 3 people is a real ass when they drink heavily. If your two buddies seem really cool tonight.......?
I'm only an angry drunk when the guy in front of me on the highway is driving like an idiot.
Dope smokers need their own lane!!!!!!
I'll cheers to this!
Dooshebag + Alcohol = angry drunk.
Absolutely false. That is why studies like this are trying to uncover why alcohol affects personalities differently.
My father was a social drinker and an angry drunk. He had no understanding or recollection of his terrible behavior when he became drunk. He only required a couple of drinks and his personality changed considerably.
He never missed a day of work, nor was he a bad character when sober. He raised 10 children alone (my mother passed prematurely) and remained very loving and responsible throughout his long life.
It appeared his addiction was also an allergy. When I drink, I do not become depressed or full of rage. According to psychiatrists, we should all be alcoholics, but this is definitely not the case.
More studies are needed to solve this mystery.
Agreed about more studies needed. I am a happy, Elvis-impersonating, generous sentimental fool when drinking Jack Daniels. If I'm drinking rum, there's a guaranteed fight of some kind. All drunks are not the same, at least for me.
I remember this guy I worked with. Really nice, professional, helpful. Ended up socializing in same circles on occasion and was shocked to see the transformation when he got drunk. It seemed to me that there was a correlation between how much a person suppressed thier negative aspects and how nasty they got when they drank. With this guy it was like watching a dam burst, every vile and nasty comment and jab that he had been holding back for weeks/months came rushing out.
This didn't used to matter back when you could just take a guy out in the alley and kick his ass for being a jerk and there were no hard feelings. Now everybody sues each other or they shoot each other, and people have to waste time conducting stupid experiments. The old days were so much better.
I turn into an angry B..ch when I drink Canadian Mist, and very demanding, I have never been that way with any other type of alcohol, including liquor, usually I just get intellectually silly
Deb,
It could be an allergic reaction to something used during the distilling process of Canadian Mist that turns you into an "angry B..ch". Just sayin'
Anyone ever think to themselves, "This piss stain isn't really that big"?
@Sirlafalot, you made me snort my coffee.
At one time I was a heavy drinker, but the anger was only directed at my husband. We both worked full time but he had to make 2 or 3 stops on the way home to "relax and unwind." I was supposed to come right home from work, take care of the house, kids and have dinner ready. On the weekend he hung out with the boys and guess what I was expected to be doing?
After 31 years we divorced. I am no longer a heavy or angry drinker. We should have divorced long before that, but I had no idea he had to pay support and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to support myself or my children.
My x and I have a friendly relationship and both have wonderful relationships with our children.
Me thinks circumstances need to be taken into consideration as well as the personality of the drinker.
I have only drank canadian mist 3 times due to nature of my reaction, posted earlier. I have no problems with any other alchoholic drinks. just canadian mist and each time I turned into someone I did not know existed
You became a member of the "Eh" team!
What makes someone an angry drunk??
10 buck beers at a sporting event!!!
Amen brother, Amen!!