To Err is Human: Estimating Alcohol Content and Its Effects

Abstract

Questionnaires were given to 459 undergraduate stu dents to determine how accurately they could estimate the number of drinks (beer, light beer, wine, wine coolers, and whiskey) they would have to consume to become legally intoxicated. Using Widmark's formula, the projected number of drinks necessary to reach a blood alcohol level of .10 percent level of intoxication was calculated for each respondent. Results indicate that although responses differ by gender, respondents gener ally have a poor understanding of the number of drinks necessary to reach an intoxicated state and that respon dents tend to underestimate the intoxication power of wine coolers and overestimate the intoxication power of whiskey. The implications of these findings for crimino logical theory are discussed.