Psychology

The paper provides the detailed analysis of a peer-reviewed research article. The summary of the article is provided. The list of independent and dependent variables is discussed. The paper evaluates and discusses the statistical research results.

Moberg, C.A.  Curtin, J.J. (2009). Alcohol selectively reduces anxiety but not fear Startle response during unpredictable versus predictable threat. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118 (2), 335-347.

Summary of the article
Moberg and Cutin (2009) seek to investigate the changes in stress-reducing behaviors in individuals under the impact of alcohol. That alcohol reduces stress in humans is a well-known fact, but those who choose alcohol as the primary element of stress reduction are at risk of developing alcohol use disorders (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). Stress exposure often becomes the major prerequisite of relapse in alcohol use in those, who are considered alcohol dependent (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). Thus, the role of stress in the patterns of alcohol use requires further analysis.

The authors provide the detailed discussion of how alcohol use and stress interact Moberg and Cutin (2009) report that coping with stress is one of the major reasons why individuals choose the use of alcohol. The higher the level of emotion-alcohol regulation in individuals, the more likely they are to subject themselves to increased alcohol use. However, there is a difference in how individuals react to fear and anxiety, and in their research, Moberg and Cutin (2009) hypothesize that a moderate dose of alcohol would reduce anxiety but not fear. For the purpose of the current study, the researchers used a variety of methods to manipulate anxiety and fear in research participants. Predictable and unpredictable shock were used to elicit a fear response to imminent threat. Moberg and Cutin (2009) recruited 32 female participants between 21 and 35 years old, who had recent experience with alcohol but were never diagnosed for alcohol-related problems and did not have a history of such problems. The participants were divided into a placebo and an alcohol group, with the latter receiving a fruit juice mixed with 100-proof vodka in a 31 juice-to-vodka ration (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). Those assigned to a placebo group received a volume-matched beverage consisting of fruit juice mixed with water poured from a vodka bottle in their presence (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). All participants were later exposed to a series of predictable unpredictable shock blocks to measure their shock sensitivity and the impact of alcohol consumption on their shock responses.

Independent and dependent variables
The list of independent variables for the current study includes the amount of alcohol administered among the members assigned to the alcohol group, while dependent variables comprise the level of alcoholic intoxication and the level of startle response in individuals from both groups. It would be fair to assume that the study also includes and is influenced by a set of the so-called extraneous variables these are not directly mentioned by the researchers but produce significant impacts on the quality of the research outcomes. Extraneous variables include the overall shock sensitivity, age, and medical condition of the research participants. As far as the study involved only female participants, it is difficult (although desirable) to estimate the impact of gender on the research results.

Research results
Participants from the placebo group reported the levels of alcohol in their beverages as much lower than those in the alcohol group, but the perceived alcohol content in both groups was far above zero (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). By measuring the startle response in both groups, the researchers concluded that alcohol is associated with a significant suppressive effect on auditory processing and reflexive responding (Moberg  Cutin, 2009). Statistical analysis has revealed no effect of alcohol on predictable shock reaction, whilst unpredictable shock sensitivity was significantly reduced by alcoholic beverages. Regression analysis was used to confirm attention as the element that may potentially mediate the impact of alcohol on startle responses and startle sensitivity attentional startle inhibition in response to unpredictable shock cues became the major source of mediating effects on the startle response in individuals from the alcohol group.