Alcohol consumption does not alter perception of beauty, according to a study by the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford. Researchers Molly A. Bowdring and Michael A. Sayette found that high alcohol consumption does not influence how attractive people appear to be when individuals are drunk. Their study, “Beer glasses or liquid courage? Alcohol, perception of attractiveness and partner selection among men,” was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
The study involved 36 male volunteers who were asked to rate the attractiveness of strangers in photos and videos after consuming both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The researchers found no correlation between participants’ perceptions of attractiveness and their level of intoxication. However, participants were 1.71 times more likely to choose their top four attractive options for a potential future date when under the influence of alcohol.
The study concluded that alcohol only increases people’s courage to approach someone they already find attractive, rather than altering their perception of beauty. The researchers hope to conduct further studies involving multiple genders in the future. This study dispels the long-standing myth of “beer goggles” and provides insight into the effects of alcohol on social interactions and perceptions of attractiveness.