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Social Facilitation of Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

Multi-Method Investigation of Social Facilitation of Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06627803
Acronym
PALS
Enrollment
200
Registered
2024-10-04
Start date
2025-02-20
Completion date
2029-08-31
Last updated
2025-08-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Abuse/Dependence, Alcohol Consumption

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to understand social contexts and alcohol use. We hope to learn how being around peers affects alcohol consumption in young adults. About 200 young adults who drink alcohol frequently will take part in the study. This research is being funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Participation involves one in-person screening session with a same-sex platonic friend. Then participants will complete four in-person laboratory sessions where they will drink beverages containing alcohol or no alcohol. After completion of the laboratory sessions, participants will complete smartphone surveys for 28 days. Lastly, they will complete follow-up surveys 6 months and 12 months post-study enrollment.

Interventions

Participants will drink a beverage that will have alcohol or no alcohol. The amount of alcohol consumed will be similar to consuming around 3-4 drinks, with breath alcohol concentration peaking at or around the legal limit for driving (0.08%).

Sponsors

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
CollaboratorNIH
University of Southern California
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 28 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* 21-28 years of age * Drink regularly (1+ times/week) with a same-sex platonic friend that also meets eligibility and is willing to participate * Regular alcohol use (3+ times/week) with at least one binge drinking episode (5+ drinks \[male\] or 4+ drinks \[female\] in about 2 hours) in the past month * BMI of 18-30 * Own a smart device operating on the iOS or Android operating system * Fluent in English

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy or breastfeeding or intent to get pregnant in the next 60 days (females) * medical conditions counter-indicated for alcohol administration * seeking treatment for alcohol use

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Drug Effect Questionnaire (DEQ)The DEQ will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.The Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ), a 5-item visual analog questionnaire (0 to 100 mm; not at all to extremely), will be used to assess the extent to which participants experience the effects of the drug: feel drug, feel high, like drug, dislike drug, and want more.
Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES)The BAES will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES) is a 14-item survey that instructs individuals to rate the extent to which drinking alcohol has produced related subjective effects (0=not at all to 10=extremely). This questionnaire has two subscales consisting of mean scores related to sedation and stimulation.
Quantity of Alcohol Use during Ecological Momentary AssessmentQuantity of Alcohol Use will be assessed daily for 28 days.Quantity of alcohol use will be the number of drinks reported each day during the Ecological Momentary Assessment period. Number of drinks reported will be recoded to create two binary variables alcohol use (alcohol use \[1+ drinks\], no alcohol \[0\]) and binge drinking (binge \[female: 4+ drinks; male: 5+ drinks\], no binge (female: \<4 drinks; male\<5 drinks\]).
Past 30-day Alcohol Use during Follow-UpPast 30-day alcohol use will be assessed 6 and 12 months after the initial laboratory sessions.Past 30-day alcohol use (including number of drinks and binge drinking) will be assessed using the timeline follow-back method.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) during Ecological Momentary AssessmentThe YAACQ will be completed daily for 28 days.The validated Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) is a 24-item measure assessing negative alcohol-related consequences. Summary scores are the sum of all items.
Past 30-day Alcohol Consequences during Follow-UpPast 30-day alcohol consequences will be assessed at 6 and 12 months following the initial laboratory sessions.Past 30-day alcohol consequences will be assessed using the validated Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ), a 24-item measure assessing negative alcohol-related consequences. Summary scores are the sum of all items.
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)The PANAS will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a well-validated brief scale comprised of 20 items meas-uring positive affect (e.g., excited, inspired) and negative affect (e.g., upset, afraid) in the moment. Each item is rated on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 = Very Slightly or Not at all to 5 = Extremely).

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactMatt G Kirkpatrick, PhD
mgkirkpa@usc.edu323-442-8221

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 30, 2026