Procedure
non-alcoholic, blood alcohol, coronavirus disease 2019
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019
The experiment was performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of the Ethical Committee of the University of Silesia in Katowice. Three research assistants were actively involved during the study. The first assistant measured the participants’ weight and BAC (to check if everyone who came to the lab had 0.00‰). The second assistant prepared the drinks and the randomized assignment to the experimental condition. The third assistant ensured all documents were signed before the study and served the drinks (unaware of the experimental condition).When participants arrived at the laboratory, they signed their consent, and the first assistant recorded their weight and measured their blood alcohol level using a breathalyzer (AlcoDigital P100). Following this, participants completed a demographic survey that included questions about age, marital status, employment status, religion, political views, subjectively perceived social status, and any diagnoses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for themselves, close family members, and friends.Next, all participants were instructed to consume the provided drink (see description below for placebo, control, and alcohol groups) within a period of up to 10 min. They were then asked to watch two emotionally neutral movie clips, each lasting 51 min: (a) “The World From Above,” Season 10, Episode 6, titled “Iceland—From Vatnajokull National Park to Gullfoss Waterfall” and (b) “The World From Above,” Season 4, Episode 7, titled “Yellowstone National Park.” The purpose of this was to allow time for alcohol absorption. After the movies, participants' blood alcohol levels were measured again. In the placebo condition, a specially designed broken breathalyzer was used, which emitted the same sound and light signals as the breathalyzer in the experimental group.Following these procedures, participants completed the main survey, which took approximately 30 min on average. The study concluded with a debriefing session and a final measurement of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). After the debriefing, participants were also asked to guess which condition they had been assigned to. Participants in the experimental condition had to wait until sober or arrange transportation home with a sober driver.Participants in the control condition consumed a non-alcoholic drink that only contained juice. Participants were told that there was no alcohol in their drinks. Participants in the placebo condition were told that there was alcohol in the drink but also consumed a non-alcoholic drink only containing juice. To create the impression of alcohol consumption, the drink was sprayed with alcohol. Participants in the alcohol condition consumed an alcoholic drink prepared to contain 1.6 g 7of alcohol at 40% strength for each 1 kg of the participant’s body weight. The drink was mixed with the same juice as in other conditions.