Academic Journal
Metacognitive judgments of alcohol-related intoxication and impairment: The Mellanby effect and alcohol myopia in low-risk drinkers.
| Title: | Metacognitive judgments of alcohol-related intoxication and impairment: The Mellanby effect and alcohol myopia in low-risk drinkers. |
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| Authors: | Love S; MAIC/UniSC Road Safety Research Collaboration, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia. Electronic address: slove@usc.edu.au., Larue GS; MAIC/UniSC Road Safety Research Collaboration, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia. |
| Source: | Journal of safety research [J Safety Res] 2026 Jun; Vol. 97, pp. 669-682. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 17. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Pergamon Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 1264241 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-1247 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00224375 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Safety Res Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Elmsford, NY : Pergamon Press Original Publication: [Chicago] National Safety Council. |
| MeSH Terms: | Alcoholic Intoxication*/psychology , Automobile Driving*/psychology , Alcohol Drinking*/psychology , Judgment* , Metacognition*, Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Blood Alcohol Content ; Young Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires |
| Abstract: | Introduction: The decision to drive after alcohol consumption is largely influenced by an individual's interpretation of their alcohol intoxication and level of driving impairment. However, such perceptions may be influenced by the level and duration of intoxication. This study investigated the effect of alcohol intoxication on drivers' judgments of their impairment and driving capabilities across different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels. Method: One hundred and sixty blinded participants were randomly allocated into low (∼.025%), mid (∼.055%), or high (∼.085%) BAC condition groups and completed surveys about their perceived alcohol intoxication and driving capabilities at various time points. Results: The results showed that the mid BAC condition group was most accurate in estimating the number of standard drinks consumed, whereas the low condition group overestimated, and the high condition group underestimated their alcohol consumption. While participants overestimated their BAC, they became more accurate when their BAC was falling. Between-group comparisons showed that participants rated their driving capabilities lower in the higher BAC condition groups. However, prior to consuming alcohol, the mid and high condition groups were significantly more confident in their ability to drive over the legal limit. Despite having a higher average actual BAC, the high condition group reported greater driving capabilities when their BAC was falling and a lower estimated BAC compared to the mid condition group when BAC was rising. Finally, logistic regression analysis revealed that estimated BAC and estimation confidence, rather than perceived driving impairment, significantly predicted the decision to drive after drinking. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the level and duration of alcohol intoxication may influence a driver's perception of impairment and their subsequent decision to drive. (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Alcohol impairment; Attention; BAC; Confidence; Drink driving |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Blood Alcohol Content) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260615 Date Completed: 20260615 Latest Revision: 20260626 |
| Update Code: | 20260626 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jsr.2026.05.009 |
| PMID: | 42297514 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1879-1247 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jsr.2026.05.009 |