We've all seen someone saying something stupid while they're drunk. That's a no-brainer.
Interestingly, new evidence shows that drinking is bad for your image even if you're not drunk.
According to a working paper from the University of Michigan's Scott Rick and the University of Pennsylvania's Maurice Schweitzer, just holding a glass of alcohol makes you look stupid. Regardless of gender or the type of drink, if people see you drinking, they think less of your intelligence.
"It hurts you," Rick says, a Ph.D. in Behavioral Decision Research.
The study conducted five experiments.
One experiment had people judge photographs of others holding an alcoholic drink, a non-alcoholic one or nothing.
Another experiment tested how persuasive a speech would be if the audience knew the speaker was drinking alcohol or something nonalcoholic.
In both cases, alcohol dimmed the perceived intelligence of the people holding the drinks.
One of the experiments put together job seeking and alcohol. Let's say a potential employer takes you, the potential employee, to dinner. The study shows that when you order a glass of wine or a beer, the employer views you as less desirable; even if the employer orders a drink as well.
Worse still, the study found that when that even if the drink you're holding was ordered for you "the bias still exists," Rick says.
"There are so many associations with alcohol," he adds. And very few of them are positive, as Rick's study reminds us.
I notice that this is true for myself. When I look at other people drinking I think to myself, "What a waste of money," and "What a waste of time," and "Doesn't that person care about their health?" Of course, I also have those thoughts when I see people drinking soda.
~ Raederle Phoenix
Adapted some information from an article written by Paul Kix
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