Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06627803

Social Facilitation of Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

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.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Consumption Alcohol Abuse/Dependence Alcohol Drinking Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Behavior Chemically-Induced Disorders Drinking Behavior Mental Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

21 year–28 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, 90032, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Matt G Kirkpatrick

CONTACT

[email protected]

323-442-8221

Matt G Kirkpatrick, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Raina D Pang, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Alcohol (Oral)

Drug

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%).

Primary outcomes

  1. Drug Effect Questionnaire (DEQ)

    Time frame: 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".

  2. Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES)

    Time frame: 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.

  3. Quantity of Alcohol Use during Ecological Momentary Assessment

    Time frame: Quantity 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]).

  4. Past 30-day Alcohol Use during Follow-Up

    Time frame: Past 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 outcomes

  1. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

    Time frame: 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).

  2. Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) during Ecological Momentary Assessment

    Time frame: The 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.

  3. Past 30-day Alcohol Consequences during Follow-Up

    Time frame: Past 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.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Matt G Kirkpatrick, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

323-442-8221

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Southern California

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Registry information

Official study title

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

Acronym: PALS

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2029
First posted
Oct 4, 2024
Registry last updated
Aug 12, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.