Alcohol's acute effects on emotion recognition and empathy in heavy-drinking young adults.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol intoxication can lead to both positive and negative social outcomes, and recent research suggests that alcohol-induced changes in emotion recognition and empathy may underlie these consequences. However, methodological limitations of prior studies make drawing firm conclusions difficult. This study addresses some of these limitations by investigating the acute effects of alcohol on emotion recognition and empathy in a large sample of young adults, using an intoxicating alcohol dose and more ecologically valid tasks. Participants (N = 156, mean age = 22.51 ± 2.16, 31.41% female, 72.44% White) were randomly assigned to groups of 3 unacquainted persons; each group was randomly assigned to drink an alcoholic or placebo beverage together. Participants then completed measures of emotion

SUBMITTER: Kumar L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12012057 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature