Alcohol, expectations, and sexual arousal in males: an information processing analysis.

Using a balanced placebo drink administration procedure, 48 male social drinkers were presented with erotic and nonerotic stimuli. Selective attention and recognition memory were measured in both visual and auditory modalities; penile tumescence was recorded continuously in response to auditory stimuli. The belief that alcohol had been consumed increased penile tumescence to both heterosexual and homosexual stimuli, but only in subjects high in sex guilt. Mild intoxication itself had no effect. Alcohol impaired memory for visual stimuli, while the belief that alcohol had been drunk facilitated memory for stimuli in the auditory modality. Correlational analysis did not support the hypothesis that alcohol expectation's impact on sexual responsiveness is mediated directly through its influence on selective attention and memory processes.