In search of an alternative placebo: estimating alcohol content of nonalcoholic, light, and regular beer.

Alcohol research has demonstrated that expectancies about what one has consumed may supercede pharmacological effects of the drink. The present study sought to expand the scope of the placebo designs by examining an alternative manipulation, using widely available nonalcoholic beverages. The nonalcoholic beers used in this study have recently become marketed and made available to consumers by two major breweries. Subjects were provided with a total of four beer samples: two nonalcoholic samples ("O'Doul's" and "Sharp's"), one light sample ("Busch Light"), and one regular sample ("Busch"). Results indicated that subjects estimated the alcohol content in "O'Doul's" as significantly lower than that of the light and regular beers; the estimate of alcohol content in Sharp's was not significantly lower than either the light or regular beers. In addition, the mean alcohol estimates for both nonalcoholic beers approximated the actual alcohol content of a light beer (roughly 3%). These results indicate that nonalcoholic beers may provide a viable alternative to the placebo manipulations currently in vogue.