Where to Look? Alcohol, Affect, and Gaze Behavior During a Virtual Social Interaction.
Clin Psychol Sci
; 11(2): 239-252, 2023 Mar.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2312644
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 forced social interactions to move online. Yet researchers have little understanding of the mental health consequences of this shift. Given pandemic-related surges in emotional disorders and problematic drinking, it becomes imperative to understand the cognitive and affective processes involved in virtual interactions and the impact of alcohol in virtual social spaces. Participants (N=246) engaged in an online video call while their gaze behavior was tracked. Prior to the interaction, participants were randomly assigned to receive an alcoholic or control beverage. Participants' affect was repeatedly assessed. Results indicated that a proportionally larger amount of time spent gazing at oneself (vs. one's interaction partner) predicted significantly higher negative affect after the exchange. Further, alcohol independently increased self-directed attention, failing to demonstrate its typically potent social-affective enhancement in this virtual context. Results carry potential implications for understanding factors that increase risk for hazardous drinking and negative affect in our increasingly virtual world.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Language:
English
Journal:
Clin Psychol Sci
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
21677026221096449
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