Alcohol and Higher-Order Problem Solving

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Abstract
The purpose of this exploratory experiment was to study the effects of alcohol on higher-order problem solving. The calculus method was used as the experimental task. Four doses (0.0, 0.33, 0.67 and 1.0 ml of absolute alcohol per kg.) were administered to 64 subjects (male medical students) in a design in which doses, sets of problem, and orders of presentation of problems, were balanced with each other and with subjects and experimental sessions. Analysis of variance was carried out on blood alcohol levels and nine problem-solving measures. Of the latter, one was total-activity which was used as a covariate with each of the other problem-solving measures. The results indicate that task-relevant activity increases linearly with higher doses. Problem-solving efficiency is a curvilinear function of doses; the 0.33 ml per kg dose was facilitating and the 1.0 ml per kg dose was detrimental to efficiency. Doses did not interfere with subjects'' ability to apply correctly the rules of the calculus. A number of measures which are relevant to the approach subjects take to the solution of problems are complexly related to doses. For example, redundancy increases linearly with doses even after adjustment for activity whereas shifts (taking nonsequential steps) increases linearly with doses, but with adjustment for activity, this effect disappears.

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