Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Blagg, Christopher O.
URN	etd-04042010-203047
Title	Can Alcohol Placebos Improve Performance?
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Alan R. Lang Committee Chair Jeanette Taylor Committee Member Ralph Radach Committee Member
Keywords	Placebo Alcohol Eye-Tracking Visuomotor
Date of Defense	2010-03-26
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract We sought to determine the conditions under which consumption of alcohol placebos might improve performance relative to that observed after consumption of simple no-alcohol drinks, hypothesizing that such an effect would be most likely for tasks that rely heavily on cognitive control. Thirty-three undergraduates (14 female) each participated in two separate experimental sessions whose order was counterbalanced. One involved administration of an alcohol-placebo beverage and the other a simple non-alcoholic beverage whose content was accurately portrayed. After drinking, participants completed a series of visuomotor tasks selected to demand varying levels of cognitive control. Performances were assessed using state-of-the-art eye tracking measures that revealed both the accuracy and strategy used in the performances. Results indicated that participants engaged in compensatory behavior when completing tasks that required both low and high cognitive control in the placebo condition. There was no indication that compensatory effects were present on tasks involving moderate levels of cognitive control.
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