Faculty Focus: Cecile Marczinski
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Marczinski’s study shows that students who are already binge drinkers are more likely to believe they can drive after consuming alcohol. She argues that these binge drinkers lack an internal cue that informs them that they are unable to drive. How did she discover this? By creating a unique study environment where test subjects were allowed to drink and drive…a driving simulator that is.
Dr. Marczinski’s test subjects consisted of undergraduate students who were of legal drinking age. They were asked to consume a “shot-like” mixture of pure alcohol and generic soda within a 5 minute period in order to get a quick rise in their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level. Subjects were then instructed to sit at a driving simulator in order for the researcher to test their ability while behind the wheel. Subjects were also asked to rate their ability to drive. Upon completion of the drive, they returned to the waiting room until their BAC dropped to a safe level. Before becoming a part of the study, the participants filled out a questionnaire and underwent a drug test. This allowed researchers to eliminate any risk factors that could impact the subjects or the test results. The results indicated that binge drinkers stated that they were able to drive under the influence alcohol despite extremely poor actual driving ability. Non-binge drinkers more accurately assessed that they were unable to drive following drinking.
Dr. Marczinski stated that undergraduate student involvement has been extremely valuable in her many research projects. When asked how important these projects are, Dr. Marczinski replied, “They allow us to take a broad field, such as psychology and cognition, and apply it to a social problem, such as drinking and impaired driving in college students. The end result is that lives might be saved.” She enjoys being part of the growing NKU community, which is making a positive impact on society and producing students who thrive.
As a new faculty member, Dr. Marczinski plans to continue her research here at NKU. There will be follow-up studies exploring how binge drinkers respond to the consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks. Students will have the opportunity to participate in this as either the researcher or a test subject. Her research on this topic is also lending support to law makers who are exploring the option of lowering the legal BAC level for driving to .05 g%. Here at Northern Kentucky University, she said she's interested in taking advantage of an opportunity to make a difference in the community by possibly helping implement lower BAC limits. Dr. Marczinski encourages students to consider participating in her research program, which involves a topic that is of personal importance to them.