Does Alcohol Catch the Eye? Investigating Young Adults’ Attention to Alcohol Consumption:

Evolutionary Psychology

Eveline Vincke¹ 

关键词: young adults;    attention;    alcohol consumption;    eye tracking;    recall;    signaling;   

DOI  :  10.1177/1474704917730207

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

Many studies on young adults’ motivations for drinking overlook the symbolic aspects of alcohol use. However, research indicates that young adults’ alcohol consumption is also driven by signaling motivations. Although the interest of a receiver is a necessary prerequisite of a signal, no previous studies have verified whether drinking behavior indeed attracts young adults’ attention. Therefore, we conducted two studies. A two-part eye-tracking study (N1 = 135, N2 = 140) showed that both young men and young women pay special visual attention to male and female drinking behavior. Additionally, a recall experiment (N = 321) confirmed that observed male and female drinking is better remembered than observed nonsignaling, functional behavior. Moreover, alcoholic beverages also receive special attention, as they were recalled better than other functional products, and also nonalcoholic drinks similar in color and shape. In summary, the experiments clearly showed that male and female drinking behavior can be used as a signal, as both behaviors clearly function as an attention-attracting cue. Additionally, as alcoholic beverages draw more attention than nonalcoholic drinks, this attention is clearly linked to the alcohol element of the drinking behavior.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC