Understanding Alcohol Reward in Social Context
Condition: Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Use Disorder; Alcohol Intoxication; Alcohol; Harmful Use; Alcoholism; Binge Drinking
MeSH terms: Alcoholism; Binge Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Alcohol Drinking
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In this study, the investigators examine whether emotional and social reward from alcohol
      varies depending on the social context of consumption.
    

Detailed description: 
      Objective: Although the vast majority of alcohol consumption outside the laboratory occurs in
      social context, experimental studies of alcohol's emotionally reinforcing effects have
      overwhelmingly examined individuals drinking in isolation. The current study examines
      motivationally salient elements of everyday social drinking contexts as moderators of
      alcohol-related reinforcement. More specifically, the present study examine whether alcohol
      is more reinforcing within the context of unfamiliar vs. familiar social interaction and,
      further, whether alcohol is more reinforcing within the context of low vs. high quality
      social relationships. The current study furthermore examine whether individuals with
      characteristics that put them at risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (e.g., male
      gender, impulsive/extraverted personality profile, heavy patterns of consumption, family
      history of AUD, ...) exhibit heightened emotional reinforcement from alcohol within these
      social drinking contexts.

      The current project represents a test of competing theories of alcohol reinforcement. Alcohol
      myopia theory-which has heretofore represented the most prominent theory of alcohol's
      effects-predicts that alcohol's ability to relieve stress depends on the nature (positive or
      negative) of stimuli in the drinker's immediate environment. Alcohol myopia theory might thus
      predict that alcohol's rewarding effects will be larger within familiar interactions and
      within secure relationships. In contrast, the social attributional theory of alcohol
      reinforcement predicts that alcohol-related reinforcement will be most pronounced within the
      context of unfamiliar social interactions.

      In addition to providing an opportunity to test contextual and individual-level moderators of
      alcohol reinforcement, the current study represents an opportunity to directly test the
      replicability of research indicating a pronounced reinforcing effect of alcohol specifically
      within interactions among unfamiliar individuals (Sayette et al., 2012; Fairbairn et al.,
      2013).

      Study Population: Participants will consist of 640 male and female drinkers, aged 21-30, with
      no reported history of severe alcohol use disorder. Participants will be sampled such that at
      least 360 of these participants will classify as heavy drinkers.

      Design: In the laboratory arm of the study, individuals will be randomly assigned to consume
      either a moderate dose of alcohol or a control beverage in the company of either familiar or
      unfamiliar individuals. Of these individuals, a subset will participate in additional tasks
      post beverage-consumption including a hyperscanning EEG task, while an additional subset will
      also participate in an ambulatory assessment period over the course of several weeks to
      examine the interaction of alcohol and social contextual factors in daily life. In the
      ambulatory study arm, participants will wear transdermal sensors to assess BAC and will
      further provide information about their mood and their social contexts in response to random
      prompts.

      Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures include self-reports of positive and negative mood
      and perceived social reinforcement. The investigators will also examine facial expressions
      using the Facial Action Coding System, a comprehensive, anatomically-based system for
      categorizing facial muscle movement. One aim of the current study is to examine whether
      differential reinforcement from alcohol in unfamiliar social contexts emerges only with
      respect to self-reports, or is also observable within facial behaviors. EEG/ERP measures will
      also be examined for a subset of participants engaged in a hyperscanning task.
    

Intervention name(s): Alcohol
Intervention type(s): Drug
Intervention description(s): Alcohol Target BAC .08%
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science