Female students more likely to underestimate their level of intoxication
Should I have one more drink? Researchers at Penn State’s Prevention Research Center might tell you to think twice before having that drink. Many college students boast that they have a high tolerance and are aware of how drunk they are. How accurate do you think these students really are?
College students often assess their level of intoxication (or perception of how drunk they are) by examining internal and external cues. An internal cue can be if a student can walk straight or can see clearly. An external cue can be thought of as how many drinks the student had within a certain timeframe. Previous studies done on college student drinking suggest that students are better at using their external cues to estimate their level of intoxication.
Kimberly Mallett, Rob Turrisi, Mary Larimer, and Nadine Mastroleo examined data of 3,707 undergraduate students at three northwestern colleges to see just how accurate they were at estimating their intoxication level. Overall, they found 20 percent of male students and female students underestimated their level of intoxication. Female students were more likely to underestimate their intoxication when they drank moderate to high levels of alcohol (four to five alcoholic drinks).
These findings have dangerous implications considering women are at higher risk of sexual assault and rape after heavy drinking. Be aware that if you fall within this range of heavy drinkers, you might not be as sober as you think you are after a night of drinking. Have you ever insisted on walking home alone or driving home because you thought you weren't drunk? Think again next time and choose to walk home with friends or take a cab.