One Drink Away from Immorality: How Alcohol Skews Our Moral Compass
Published in the esteemed journal Psychopharmacology, this incisive study set out to crack the code on how booze influences our “moral compass” in terms of care, fairness, authority, loyalty, and purity. What it unveiled was eye-opening: after just one drink, people were more prone to cross lines in the areas of care and purity. These participants expressed a greater willingness to inflict harm on people and animals, and to “act out impurely.” However, alcohol left their views on fairness, authority, and loyalty untouched.
Conducted by a crack team at the University of Silesia, the investigation delved into the murky mechanics of decision-making tied to immoral actions, like crimes, under the influence of alcohol. Sure, we’ve known alcohol loosens inhibitions—that’s no shocker—but its sway over morality? That’s been less clear.
Mariola Paruzel-Czachura, one of the study’s lead authors, emphasized to PsyPost that while drunken misconduct is common lore, systematic research on the subject has been scant. She stated, “We’re the pioneers in scientifically examining this behavioral tendency.”
The methodology was rigorous. Utilizing the Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale (MFSS), participants were given a drink and then exposed to emotionally-neutral films as their bodies processed the alcohol. Blood tests verified intoxication levels before moral compasses were gauged by researchers.
The results? Inebriated subjects showed a heightened inclination toward unholy acts, such as partaking in events that would involve “crawling naked and urinating on stage.”
Paruzel-Czachura summarized: “When drunk, people are more prone to harmful and ‘impure’ actions. Yet, their likelihood to challenge authority or act unfairly remained constant.”
The researchers concluded that while moral judgments are key to social functioning, alcohol could derail us into immorality. In essence, booze might make you more likely to, say, kick a dog, but won’t incite you to rebel against authority figures.
