New research shows that people make the same moral judgments about hypothetical situations when drunk as they make when sober. For reference, an example moral situation is the classic train track scenario (is it right or wrong to push an innocent person in front of a train if doing so will definitely stop the train from hitting five people it will otherwise hit for sure?).
This is the first piece of research we’ve seen on the effects of intoxication that really surprised us.
After all, we know that alcohol makes us less inhibited, which can lead to some pretty terrible decision-making. It can also make us worse at reading facial expressions, which can lead to fights that could have been avoided. It can also give us a sense of warmth and wellbeing that makes us feel close with people we aren’t actually that close with.
So it definitely can affect our judgment.
But this study suggests that some of our core moral understanding of right and wrong in the world is the same regardless of how much we’ve had to drink.
At the end of the day, this makes sense, though. The judgment calls you make when drunk (get in a fight, sleep with someone, go on a risky adventure) are ones that at some level, you fundamentally think are morally OK. Similarly, if you do something terrible when drunk, at some level, you thought it was OK; you are still responsible for what you did.
If you’re tired of questioning your judgment when drunk, we’d love to help you quit or cut back. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. Try it free for a week before joining!
