ALCOHOL AND COMPLEX FUNCTIONING

Twenty-five managers participated in two parallel 6-hour quasi-experim ental simulations. On placebo treatment days, the subjects received ho urly placebo drinks. On alcohol treatment days (order counterbalanced) , enough alcohol was provided prior to the fourth hour of simulation p articipation to attain a breath alcohol level (BAL) of near .10. All o ther drinks contained a placebo beverage. Complex task performance was assessed on five variables derived from complexity theory, comparing performance for three measurement periods: (a) prior to the fourth hou r of simulation participation (placebo treatment), (b) during the four th hour (rising BALs on alcohol treatment days), and (c) during the fi fth/sixth hours (falling BALs). Alcohol diminished the participants' b readth of approach (differentiation). Performance on indicators of str ategic functioning (integration) decreased after BALs had begun to fal l but not while BALs were rising. The implications for performance of complex tasks under the influence of alcohol and for the applicability of the acute tolerance phenomenon to complex task environments are co nsidered.