Fooey
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It is common knowledge that many people regret their choice of sexual partners after a night of heavy drinking. Alcohol is often used as an excuse to friends of why you may have hooked up with someone who may not be very visually appealing. When we are drunk, and people appear to be more attractive to us than when we are sober, we are said to be wearing “beer goggles.” Several theories have existed on why beer goggles exist and how they work. Most agree that perceived attractiveness is affected because the part of the brain that regulates our judgment is depressed by alcohol. The nerves there just don’t fire like they usually do. Other people argue that perceived attractiveness is affected because of desperation. Many people go out to a bar or nightclub looking for a sexual partner, so as the night wears on, people get desperate to achieve their goal, and they lower their standards.
One study, held in 2002 in Scotland, set out, once and for all, to scientifically prove or disprove beer goggles. 80 Glasgow University students were tested by being shown 120 photos of both male and female people. The students were asked to rate each person on their attractiveness using a scale from 1 to 7. Half of the students were sober and the other half consumed alcohol to the equivalent of 2 pints of beer or 2 ½ glasses of wine. Those who consumed alcohol rated the people, on average, as 25 percent more attractive than did the sober students. No difference was found between men and women. The increases included both sexes of study participants. Professor Barry Jones, a partner in the study, said alcohol effects the nucleus accumbens in the brain, the part that determines facial attractiveness.
 Posted 5343 day ago
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