Drinking in Young Adult Duos (DYAD) Study

NCT06822257 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: AA031009R01AA031009
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 504
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examines the role of alcohol use in understanding the dynamics of romantic relationships. Couples will participate in a research session where they consume either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage and complete study tasks. After the session, participants will provide information about their drinking habits, alcohol- and non-alcohol-related experiences, and relationship factors through brief surveys on their smart phones and again at 6-month and 12-month follow-up sessions. The findings from this study aim to improve understanding of alcohol use in close relationships and may inform future strategies for promoting healthier relationships and behaviors.

Conditions

Alcohol Consumption; Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Intoxication

Keywords

alcohol administration; couples

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Social behaviors-observational

  Behavioral measures of social processes using validated and reliable behavioral coding schemes to code facial expressions, speech behaviors, and speech content: the Facial Action Coding System (Ekman, Friesen, \& Hagar, 2002) and the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (Heyman, 2004). This coding uses binary (yes/no) codes for presence/absence of behaviors at each moment in time. Higher scores represent more instances of behaviors.

  During couple interactions in the lab for a total duration of 55 minutes.

• Emotions

  The 8-item Mood Measure (Fairbairn et al., 2021) will assess self-reported positive and negative emotions on scales from 0 (none) to 10 (extremely). Higher scores indicate a greater intensity of emotions.

  Immediately after the couple interactions in the lab referenced above.

• Social behaviors-self-report

  Participants will provide ratings of their own and their partners' social behaviors on ten-point Likert scales. Higher scores indicate a greater endorsement of each behavior.

  Immediately after the couple interactions in the lab referenced above.

• Real-world experiences

  Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) methods will be used to send a series of brief surveys to participants' smartphones to assess alcohol consumption (in standard alcoholic drinks).

  The EMA protocol will be completed for 14 days post-lab session.

• Longer term alcohol problems

  Follow-up sessions will assess alcohol problems using DSM-5 alcohol use disorder criteria. Higher scores reflect more alcohol problems.

  Assessed longitudinally up to 12-months post-lab session.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Relationship functioning

  Assessed longitudinally up to 12-months post-lab session.

Study Arms (1)

Healthy couples who drink alcohol

OTHER

Healthy young adult couples who regularly drink alcohol

Drug: Alcohol beverage; Other: Non-alcohol beverage

Interventions

Alcohol beverage DRUG

moderate dose of alcohol

Healthy couples who drink alcohol

Non-alcohol beverage OTHER

No alcohol given

Healthy couples who drink alcohol

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Both members of the couple must:
• be between the ages of 21 and 30
• regularly consume alcohol
• own a smartphone

You may not qualify if:

• Neither member of the couple:
• has a history of adverse reaction to the amount of beverage used in the study
• has a history of major problems related to alcohol
• is taking medications that could adversely interact with alcohol
• is pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Carnegie Mellon University: lead
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication

Interventions

Ethanol; Beverages

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Drinking Behavior; Behavior; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohols; Organic Chemicals; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Central Study Contacts

Kasey G. Creswell, PhD

CONTACT

412-779-4931; kasey@andrew.cmu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor of Psychology; Director of Graduate Studies

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 24, 2025
• First Posted: February 12, 2025
• Study Start: February 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2029
• Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (1)