Summary: Atwood et al. (2012)

Increased mortality and morbidity can result from alcohol consumption and high levels of  consumption and increased episodic "binge" drinking incidents are increasingly becoming more of a social concern. Alcohol consumption is sensitive to a variety of factors, including price, drinking age restrictions, hours/days of alcohol sale and number/density/type of alcohol outlets. Atwood et al. (2012) explored another factor thought to influence alcohol consumption - glass shape. They exposed 159 male and female alcohol consumers to either lager or soft drink (7-Up), straight or curved glass and 6 fl oz or 12 fl oz (in various combinations). Thereafter, participants completed a word search puzzle to disguise the true aim of the experiment. Atwood et al. (2012) measured rate of consumption, total drinking time, perceptual judgement of the half-way point of the glass. They found that rate of consumption decreased by 60% when alcohol-drinking consumers drank from a straight glass compared to a curved one, but this was only observed when the glass was full (12 fl oz). Atwood et al. (2012) also found that the half-way point of a curved glass was more difficult to estimate than that of a straight glass, suggesting that glass shape can influence rate of consumption of alcoholic beverages. This could be an effective strategy for alcoholic consumption management.