How alcohol changes decisions and behavior during an immersive virtual date
Alcohol's Effects on Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Responses in a Virtual Reality Dating Simulation
This project looks at how drinking alcohol changes men's feelings, thinking, and choices during an immersive virtual dating interaction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180071 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear a head-mounted display and take part in a realistic 3-D virtual-date scenario while researchers randomly assign some participants to drink alcohol and others to drink a non-alcoholic beverage. The simulation records emotional reactions, sexual arousal cues, decision-making, and behaviors as you interact with a virtual dating partner. The team compares responses across drink conditions to see how acute alcohol use changes affect, cognition, and behavior related to unwanted sexual advances. The simulation builds on an earlier pilot and has been updated to be more immersive and realistic to better reflect real-world situations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adult men who are willing and medically cleared to consume alcohol and to attend in-person virtual-reality lab sessions.
Not a fit: People who cannot or should not drink alcohol (including underage individuals, pregnant people, or those with alcohol-use disorder or certain medical conditions) would not be eligible and would not directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform better prevention programs, bystander training, and policies to reduce alcohol-related sexual assault.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lab alcohol-administration studies and a pilot R21 using a dating simulation showed promising results, though using immersive 3-D virtual reality in this context is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Detroit, United States
- Wayne State University — Detroit, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abbey, Antonia — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Abbey, Antonia
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.