Does Drinking Make You Nicer?

There's nothing like a little "liquid courage" to make you more confident while at the bars. Now, new research confirms that alcohol really does act as a social lubricant in social situations. 

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh gathered participants and divided them into three groups: one drank a vodka-cranberry drink, one drank a vodka-cranberry "look-alike" (meaning a cranberry juice/ flat soda mixture that was wiped down with alcohol so they only thought they were drinking), and one was given straight cranberry juice (the placebo). The researchers then took careful notes about how each group got along. 

What they found isn't a shocker: more of the participants who were drinking the vodka-cranberries self-reported that they got along great compared to those drinking the placebo. And even those drinking the "look-alike" vodka-cranberry drinks didn't report such strong numbers as the drinkers (so the smell of alcohol didn't do much for their social interactions). The researchers also reported that the body language and facial signs of those drinking were generally more positive than those staying sober. 

So it's no secret: a little bit of a buzz will make you more sociable (and maybe make that first date a bit more enjoyable).