A researcher was interested in the effects of alcohol on
perceptions of physical attractiveness of the opposite sex in a
heterosexual sample. To study this,
students from two of the professor's classes were asked to participate, a senior seminar for psychology
majors which met Thursday evening once a week from 6-9pm, and a freshman
introductory psychology class, which met two mornings a week at 10 am.
Because the seniors were all at least 21 and thus legally able to drink,
they were assigned to the condition that received 2 oz. of alcohol mixed
in with 6 oz. of orange juice. The freshman were assigned to the “placebo”
alcohol condition, in which they received 2 oz. of tonic water (which
tastes like alcohol) mixed in 6 oz. of orange juice. However, everyone is
told they are really being served alcohol.
Students were invited to participate in the study if they had a free hour
after their class with the professor. The professor conducted the study on
a Thursday, on a day when the introductory class had had an exam. Students
drank either the “alcohol” or the placebo drink, waited 30 minutes in a
lounge for the alcohol to take effect, and then sat at a computer and
performed a five-minute task in which they rated various faces of the
opposite sex on physical attractiveness.
The group that had received alcohol rated the faces as more attractive
than the group that did not receive alcohol and the professor concluded
that alcohol makes people of the opposite sex appear more attractive.
Is the professor’s conclusion a reasonable one? Why or why not?
