This recent University of Michigan study was published in 2013. The researchers were concerned with assessing the impact that merely choosing alcohol over other beverages has on one’s perceived social appearance. The researchers worked under the assumption that behavioral changes related to consumption of alcohol would most certainly change the way in which co-workers perceived an individual. The researchers were most interested in studying whether merely the choice of alcohol could cause co-workers to lose respect for others and cause them to judge individuals as possessing less intelligence.

The Imbibing Idiot Bias

The researchers set out to show that an “imbibing idiot bias” actually exists. They conducted a total of five separate mini studies to prove that this bias exists. In the last research study, the researchers discovered a very interesting conclusion. The researchers set out to place the research subjects in an interview setting. The researchers set out to determine whether ordering wine at the dinner would influence the hiring decision of the manager. At this stage of the research study, many of the research subjects believed that ordering a glass of wine made them appear to be more intelligent before the interviewer. The reality was that the individuals who ordered a coca cola received higher ratings than individuals who ordered wine at the dinner event. The hiring manager believed that those who consumed soda or non-alcoholic beverages possessed greater control and intelligence than those who ordered alcohol.