Looks at a study suggesting that drug use may cause aggression.
Researcher Brad Bushman; Effect of central nervous system (CNS)
depressants such as alcohol and barbiturates; Effects of CNS stimulants,
opiates and marijuana.
By
PT Staff, published on March 01, 1994
Drugs and Aggression
"O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away
their brains!" complained Othello.
Since long before Shakespeare, it's been assumed that people are
more aggressive when "under the influence" of alcohol and other drugs. In
fact, drug use is often associated with aggressive acts such as rape and
assault. But correlational data don't reveal whether drug use actually
causes aggression.
That's why psychologist Brad Bushman has drunk deep studies of
drug-related human aggression. The verdict: In many cases it does cause
aggression.
Alcohol and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as
barbiturates are clearly linked with aggression. In fact, the difference
in aggression levels between drinkers and nondrinkers is about equal to
the difference in physical aggression levels between males and females.
Which is to say, major.
"If I had to bet the ranch on anything," says Bushman, "it would be
that CNS depressants do increase aggression. It's harder to tell with
other drugs because there aren't as many studies, but they also seem
to."
CNS stimulants, like nicotine, caffeine, and amphetamines, have no
consistent effect on aggression. Of the opiates, which cause euphoria and
reduce pain, only codeine's been tested, and it upped aggressiveness.
Marijuana, a hallucinogen, raises hostility.
It may be that there's a portion of the brain devoted to
inhibitions, and that alcohol "paralyzes the brakes." Yet Bushman found
that it takes both psychological and pharmacological effects of alcohol
to increase aggression.
Drinkers are apt to be impulsive, less aware of themselves, and
less able to assess risks--all involving psychological processes and all
of which up aggression.
In an age when American drink almost as much beer as soda, there's
reason to duck.
PHOTO: Scene from the film "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf."
Tags:
aggression,
aggression levels,
aggressive acts,
aggressiveness,
alcohol,
alcohol and other drugs,
brad bushman,
central nervous system,
CNS depressant,
cns depressants,
drug,
effects of alcohol,
euphoria,
hallucinogen,
human aggression,
inhibitions,
males and females,
opiate,
opiates,
pharmacological effects,
physical aggression,
psychological processes,
stimulants
