Dyads experience over confidence in hand-eye coordination skills after placebo alcohol

An experiment tested the effects of dyad membership and the prospect of completing a motor-skills task on alcohol placebo consumption and task confidence. Participants (n =115) completed a taste preference task whilst alone or in dyads. Half the individuals and half the dyads expected to subsequently complete a motor-skills task and rated task confidence pre and post-consumption. Individuals expecting the task consumed less than those in the non-task condition and felt less confident in their abilities post-consumption. Amongst those expecting the task, dyad members’ consumption did not reduce and their post-consumption confidence was higher than individuals’. Findings suggest dyad membership can lead to overconfidence. Attempts to reduce alcohol related harms must balance the protective properties of dyads with risks of overconfidence.