Alcohol affects men's perception of women due to the effects of endogenous opiates on the pleasure center of the brain. Studies in the United States have shown that drunken men in photographs of women spend more time looking at their breasts and waist. However, an experiment carried out by British scientists showed a different result.
Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus about whether alcohol affects the perception of women by men. Studies have been conducted in different countries that have shown opposite results.
Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA)
Scientists have come to the conclusion that men, after drinking even a small amount of alcoholic beverages, tend to perceive girls as objects for sexual attraction. The study involved 50 men aged 20-30 years. They were divided into two groups. The first was given alcoholic beverages, and the second was given a placebo.
After some time, photographs of young girls in attractive evening dresses were shown. The volunteers had to evaluate the picture. At this time, with the help of a special electronic automated system, eye movements were tracked. Was noted:
- Men under the influence of alcohol looked more at the chest and waist than at the face. The difference was more pronounced when women were characterized as “attractive” or “insecure”.
- Sober men paid more attention to the study of facial features of the fairer sex, who gave the impression of being "soulful" and "self-sufficient."
- Under the influence of alcohol, the subjects hardly looked at the body parts of those girls who looked confident.
Why is there a change in men's perception of women under the influence of alcohol?
Experts note that the change in perception is more associated with the psychological effects of alcohol than with physiological changes. The mood becomes elevated, the person begins to feel more relaxed. However, this is explained from the point of view of physiology. Alcohol "masks" the pleasure center located in the brain with the help of endorphins. The latter act as endogenous opiates.
Some scientists suggest that women's perceptions change not only with a moderate dose of alcohol consumed. The concentration of endorphins increases in some areas of the orbitofrontal cortex, which "tells" the representatives of the stronger sex how exactly you can get what you want.
Substantial doses of alcohol lead to the fact that a person ceases to control his libido. This leads to increased potency. Scientists note: it doesn't matter what drink is drunk. The main thing is how much was used. For example, 50 g of vodka or a glass of wine:
- stimulates attraction;
- allows you to quickly get into an excited state;
- inhibits ejaculation, prolongs sexual intercourse.
From the point of view of physiology, the fact is also explained that significant doses of alcohol, its systematic use, interfere with the production of male hormones. Therefore, the more a man is addicted to drinking, the less he wants sex. This also leads to a change in the perception of women.
In addition, if before each sexual intercourse the use of strong drinks is preceded, a certain behavioral setting is fixed. Because of it, a person does not manage to be in a state of arousal without alcohol. Against the background of a lost sense of control, a man may not care which woman is next to him.
Research Proving Alcohol Doesn't Affect Men 's Perception of Women
Researcher Olivia Maynard with her team from the University of Bristol (UK) decided to conduct the experiment in the "field" conditions. For this, the experiment was staged in three bars of the city at once. A total of 311 people participated in the experiment.
The tipsy men were asked to rank photographs of faces on a 7-point scale. After that, each participant had to subjectively assess the degree of their intoxication, pass a test for the content of alcohol vapors in the exhaled air.
It was found that there is no relationship between a person's intoxication and the ranking of persons of the opposite sex in photographs. However, the more alcohol-containing drinks were drunk, the less pleasant the faces in the male photographs became.
The researchers remind that such an experiment was conducted for the first time, so the data needs additional confirmation. For example, the survey did not take into account the degree of sexuality of the subjects.
In conclusion, we note that another study was carried out by foreign scientists. In its course, the fact was revealed that alcohol does not affect the ability of men to judge the age of the chosen one. This experiment proves that intoxication cannot be an excuse for sexual relations with minors.
