EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND EXPECTANCY ON SELF-DISCLOSURE AND ANXIETY IN MALE AND FEMALE SOCIAL DRINKERS

To study the effects of alcohol consumption and expectancy on self-dis closure and self-reported anxiety during a social interaction, 32 male and 32 female social drinkers were assigned to one of four groups com prising a 2 x 2 factorial balanced-placebo design. Alcohol expectancy reduced the intimacy level of self-disclosure but not the amount of se lf-disclosure. Alcohol consumption had no effect. Thus, in contrast to the common view that alcohol functions as a ''social lubricant,'' it served to inhibit social interaction. There was a three-way interactio n among alcohol consumption, expectancy, and gender of subjects, such that the largest increase in anxiety was reported by male subjects who expected but did not receive alcohol. Thus, the previously reported i nverse relationship between anxiety and self-disclosure was not confir med, and alcohol's effect on anxiety seems unrelated to its effect on self-disclosure. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.