Alcohol's Effects on Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Responses in a Virtual Reality Dating Simulation

Abstract
Approximately half of all sexual assaults involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, victim, or both. Self-
report surveys conducted with victims and perpetrators have provided valuable information about alcohol's role
in sexual assault; however, causality cannot be established from correlational designs. When participants are
randomly assigned to drink conditions in laboratory studies, causal conclusions can be made regarding the
effects of acute alcohol consumption on behavior. The major challenge for experimentalists is to develop
proxies for sexual assault that have strong construct validity and experimental realism. Virtual reality
environments (VRE) provide the opportunity for participants to become immersed in the simulated
environment; thus, participants are expected to behave in ways and to make choices that closely relate to their
behavior outside the laboratory. The goal of the proposed research is to build on the promising findings from
the PIs recent R21 grant (AA020876) that developed a dating simulation as a new experimental paradigm for
examining alcohol's role in acquaintance sexual assault perpetration committed by men against women. The
first specific aim of the proposed research involves enhancing the VR dating simulation based on insights from
our empirical findings and new technological developments. The updated simulation will be 3-dimensional, with
participants wearing head mounted displays that immerse them in the virtual world with their female
companion. Changes will be developed and evaluated in focus groups and cognitive interviews with male and
female participants to maximize ecological validity. The second specific aim involves systematically evaluating
the impact of situational cues manipulated within the virtual reality environment which are expected to evoke
the "in the moment" cognitions and feelings that are hypothesized to increase the likelihood of sexual
aggression among men predisposed to be sexually aggressive. The third specific aim involves examining the
effects of acute alcohol consumption on men's sexually aggressive responses in the virtual reality simulation.
Based on the findings from the studies associated with Specific Aim 2, situational factors will be manipulated
resulting in a 2 (alcohol condition: sober vs. intoxicated; target BrAC = .08) X 2 (high or low level of cue that
affects participants' perceptions of the woman's sexual interest) X 2 (high or low level of cue that affects
participants' sense of entitlement and anger after a refusal) design. Risk factors associated with sexual assault
perpetration will be assessed in a separate session and are expected to interact with alcohol and cue
conditions, such that intoxicated men who are predisposed to sexual aggression (e.g., high pre-existing levels
of hostile masculinity) and exposed to sexual interest and entitlement/anger cues are hypothesized to be most
likely to be sexually aggressive. Future studies can alter aspects of the simulation to increase generalizability
to different populations. The applicants’ long-term goal is to identify modifiable risk and protective factors that
can be used to develop evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions to reduce sexual violence.

Grant Number: 5R01AA028815-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Antonia Abbey