KSU psychology professor Dan Neal recruits students for drinking research

By John Campanelli

"Kent State University's Dan Neal is the professor many of us wish we had when we were in school. A psychology prof, Neal is head of KSU's Alcohol Research Lab. To get subjects for his research into alcohol and its effects on self-control, he placed an ad in the Daily Kent Stater newspaper urging students (those over 21, of course) to come into his bar lab and 'drink for science.' The students are thoroughly screened, served carefully measured drinks and then asked to do a series of exercises to assess their risk-taking. They earn up to $50 for their time. The drinks are free. In between evening research sessions, Neal answered a few questions from PDQ's John Campanelli..."

"'The research we conduct can shed light on a very important health concern, namely, why do people take significant risks when intoxicated that they would not take when they are sober? It's true that the vast majority of college students will eventually moderate their drinking and have no long-term problems with alcohol. But it only takes one night of drinking to lead to a life-changing negative outcome...'"

"'One of my interests is impulsivity and self-control, the ability to overcome the urge to do something impulsively. The field the psychology in general is just now starting to get a grasp on what self-control really is. We have no idea how self-control interacts with alcohol intoxication. My studies are designed to look at how this interaction occurs. Is it possible to still exert self-control when intoxicated, and if so, how can we then promote self-control when people become intoxicated?...'"

Full article available at http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2008/11/ksu_psychology_profess...