How being with friends changes alcohol's effects in young adults
Official title: Multi-method investigation of social facilitation of alcohol effects and alcohol misuse in young adults
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11182664 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how drinking alone versus with a friend changes how alcohol makes young adults feel and whether that relates to risky drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $592,483 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA031240-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11182664 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are young adults who drink alcohol and are willing to attend multiple in-person lab visits, sometimes accompanied by a friend.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not drink alcohol, cannot attend lab visits in Los Angeles, or are outside the study's age range likely would not benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
You would come to four in-person lab visits where, in different sessions, you would receive either an alcoholic drink or a nonalcoholic beverage and be either alone or with a friend. Before and after each drink, researchers will ask about your mood and how the drink makes you feel, and during social visits they will record and code your conversation and behavior. The team will compare your feelings and behaviors across the four conditions to see how social context alters alcohol's effects. They will relate those patterns to measures of alcohol use to understand who may be at higher risk for problematic drinking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify social situations that drive risky drinking and inform prevention or intervention approaches tailored to young adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory studies have shown that alcohol's effects can be stronger in social settings, but this multi-method design combining controlled drinking with behavioral coding offers a more detailed, newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pang, Raina — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Pang, Raina
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.