Alcohol Myopia Theory meets Lost-Letter Technique:A study on the influence of alcohol on altruistic behavior

The present study focused on the effect of alcohol on altruistic behavior. A field experiment tested if the Alcohol Myopia Theory (AMT) can also account for altruistic behavior. So far this theory has only been applied to the inhibiting or impelling effects of alcohol on negative behaviors. The study contained a 2 x (Timing: office hours versus bar hours) x 2 (Conspicuousness of envelopes: high versus low) x 3 (Cue in address: Altruistic versus Neutral versus Averse) experimental design making use of the Lost Letter-Technique (LLT). It was hypothesized that there would be a higher response for the drops made during office hours, this was supported. No difference was found for the use of the two envelopes differing on conspicuousness, which gave no support for the second hypothesis. No effect was found for the use of the altruistic cue. A weak significant effect for the averse cue was found for drops made during bar hours; this effect was not found for drops made during office hours. This gives marginal proof for the hypothesis that persons under the influence of alcohol react to the most salient cue given at that time, as postulated by the AMT. The current study is an addition to previous literature on the LLT for its use of envelopes differing on conspicuousness and (most likely) alcohol intoxicated participants. Although no significant effects were found, the current study is a first step towards testing whether the AMT can also be applied to positive behaviors, in this case altruism.