Drinking in Young Adult Duos (DYAD) Study

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Alcohol Consumption; Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Intoxication
• Interventions: Drug: Alcohol beverage; Other: Non-alcohol beverage

• Registration Number: NCT06822257
• Lead Sponsor: Carnegie Mellon University

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.

Detailed Description

This study investigates alcohol consumption in romantic relationships. Couples will be recruited to participate in a laboratory-based alcohol administration session, during which they will consume either a moderate dose of alcohol or a non-alcoholic beverage. Following beverage consumption, couples will complete questionnaires and tasks.

The study employs a multi-method approach to assess alcohol in couples, including self-reports and behavioral tasks, both inside and outside of the lab (e.g., using ecological momentary assessment). Additionally, participants' drinking patterns and relationship factors will be tracked over time, with follow-up assessments conducted at 6-months and 12 months post-laboratory session.

The findings from this research will provide insights into the role that alcohol consumption plays in close relationships and may inform interventions to support healthier drinking behaviors and relationship outcomes.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-01-24
• Study Start: 2025-02-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-02-06
• Study First Posted: 2025-02-12
• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-22
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-28
• Primary Completion: 2029-09
• Study Completion: 2029-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 504

Inclusion Criteria

Both members of the couple must:

• be between the ages of 21 and 30
• regularly consume alcohol
• own a smartphone

Exclusion Criteria

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Healthy couples who drink alcohol	Alcohol beverage	Healthy young adult couples who regularly drink alcohol
Healthy couples who drink alcohol	Non-alcohol beverage	Healthy young adult couples who regularly drink alcohol

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Social behaviors-observational	During couple interactions in the lab for a total duration of 55 minutes.	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.
Longer term alcohol problems	Assessed longitudinally up to 12-months post-lab session.	Follow-up sessions will assess alcohol problems using DSM-5 alcohol use disorder criteria. Higher scores reflect more alcohol problems.
Emotions	Immediately after the couple interactions in the lab referenced above.	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.
Real-world experiences	The EMA protocol will be completed for 14 days post-lab session.	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).
Social behaviors-self-report	Immediately after the couple interactions in the lab referenced above.	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.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Relationship functioning	Assessed longitudinally up to 12-months post-lab session.	Relationship functioning will be assessed on 10 point Likert scales (Jakubiak \& Feeney, 2009), with higher scores representing higher relationship functioning.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Carnegie Mellon University; 🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States