Alcohol consumption increases attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex faces: a possible third route to risky sex.
“AIMS: To measure the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on males’ and females’ attractiveness ratings of unfamiliar male and female faces. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty undergraduate volunteers were used in each of three experiments. … SETTING: Quiet, prepared corners of bars and licensed eating areas on a civic university campus. …FINDINGS: There was a significant alcohol consumption enhancement effect only for attractiveness ratings of opposite-sex faces in experiment 1. This indicates that the opposite-sex enhancement effect is not due simply to alcohol consumption causing the use of higher points of ratings scales, in general. CONCLUSION: Since Agocha & Cooper have shown that the likelihood of intentions to engage in risky sex increases as the facial attractiveness of the potential sexual partner increases, through the opposite-sex enhancement effect we identify a new possible link between risky sex and alcohol consumption.”
