Drinking Together and Drinking Alone: A Social-Contextual Framework for Examining Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder

Creswell, Kasey G.

doi:10.1177/0963721420969406

Cited by 77 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…This finding is in contrast to much of the literature showing that negative affect increases monetary allocations to others in ultimatum and dictator games [89]. We did not find that isolation while drinking influenced negative affect compared to those drinking socially as others have reported [90].…”

Section: Plos Onecontrasting

confidence: 99%

Alcohol unleashes homo economicus by inhibiting cooperation

et al. 2021

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Human behavior lies somewhere between purely self-interested homo economicus and socially-motivated homo reciprocans. The factors that cause people to choose self-interest over costly cooperation can provide insights into human nature and are essential when designing institutions and policies that are meant to influence behavior. Alcohol consumption can shed light on the inflection point between selfish and selfless because it is commonly consumed and has global effects on the brain. The present study administered alcohol or placebo (N = 128), titrated to sex and weight, to examine its effect on cooperation in a standard task in experimental economics, the public goods game (PGG). Alcohol, compared to placebo, doubled the number of free-riders who contributed nothing to the public good and reduced average PGG contributions by 32% (p = .005). This generated 64% higher average profits in the PGG for those who consumed alcohol. The degree of intoxication, measured by blood alcohol concentration, linearly reduced PGG contributions (r = -0.18, p = .05). The reduction in cooperation was traced to a deterioration in mood and an increase in physiologic stress as measured by adrenocorticotropic hormone. Our findings indicate that moderate alcohol consumption inhibits the motivation to cooperate and that homo economicus is stressed and unhappy.

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Section: Plos Onecontrasting

confidence: 99%

Alcohol unleashes homo economicus by inhibiting cooperation

et al. 2021

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“…Preliminary studies indicated that increased alcohol consumption as a coping strategy could be associated with social isolation, boredom, and lack of a routine. However, heavy/frequent drinking was not associated with coping motives, but it was associated with greater alcohol problems ( 65 , 66 ), underscoring the importance of monitoring solitary drinkers as they may be more vulnerable to negative consequences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Problematic Use of Alcohol and Online Gaming as Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

Park

Kang

et al. 2021

Front. Psychiatry

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The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has dramatically changed our daily lives and activities, including those originally intended to serve for leisure and pleasure. Drinking and online gaming became coping behaviors used to rescue ourselves from the stress and restricted lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, frequent drinking and gaming can result in the pathological consequences of addiction. Those affected use the stimuli not to obtain pleasure, but rather to avoid the displeasure induced by stress and previous use, often unsuccessfully. This review aims to provide an overview of recent longitudinal cohort studies on alcohol and gaming use during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to analyze how the pandemic has affected alcohol and gaming use. There was a substantial risk of alcohol and online gaming overuse during the lockdown, which may depend on the pandemic's duration or overuse patterns. Previous studies have shown that increased alcohol consumption and online gaming are associated with heightened stress and anxiety levels caused by social isolation/quarantine. Over time, frequent or excessive alcohol consumption and gaming could lead to an increased risk of more serious mental health problems. Every effort should be made to mitigate mental health problems and ensure adequate adaptation to these exceptional circumstances. Therefore, it would be helpful to encourage physical activity, social interaction, and collaboration to facilitate psychological and physical health.

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“…It also prospectively predicts later alcohol use and consequences even after accounting for earlier risk factors (e.g., [ 6 , 12 ]), suggesting that it may be an early warning sign for the development of AUD. Because of this, there is interest in why individuals engage in this behavior, with particular focus on a negative reinforcement mechanism whereby individuals drink alone to alleviate NA (e.g., [ 5 , 15 , 17 ]). However, studies testing this hypothesis have been correlational in nature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While most adolescents and young adults drink socially (e.g., [ 1 , 2 ]), about 14% of adolescents [ 3 ] and 15-24% of young adults [ 4 ] engage in solitary alcohol consumption, most commonly defined as drinking when no one else is present [ 4 ]. Though it is less common, solitary drinking may be a risky drinking pattern for younger individuals [ 5 , 6 ]. Indeed, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies demonstrate associations between solitary drinking and a variety of negative psychosocial outcomes in younger individuals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of negative mood on solitary drinking preference: An experiment with young adult solitary drinkers

et al. 2021

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Solitary drinking is a risk marker for alcohol use disorder; thus, it is important to identify why individuals drink alone and for whom this association is particularly relevant. Evidence suggests the desire to ameliorate negative affect (NA) motivates solitary drinking, with some individuals particularly likely to drink alone to cope, but all past studies are cross-sectional. The present study therefore aimed to determine whether 1) experimentally induced NA increased preferences to drink alcohol alone, and 2) whether the relationship between NA and choosing to drink alcohol alone was moderated by neuroticism, drinking to cope motives, and social anxiety. Current drinkers (ages 21-29) with a solitary drinking history (N=126) were randomly assigned to either NA, positive affect [PA], or no affect change (control) conditions via differing cognitive task feedback. After the mood manipulation, participants chose between drinking alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages in one of two contexts: alone or socially. Evidence regarding effectiveness of the mood manipulation was mixed, and few chose non-alcoholic beverages in either context. Condition did not influence outcome choice. Across conditions, increases in NA and the importance placed on receiving one’s context choice were associated with solitary (versus social) alcohol preference. Neuroticism and its interaction with NA change also influenced choice; individuals high in neuroticism chose more solitary (versus social) drinking contexts while the opposite was true for those low in neuroticism, and among the latter, the preference difference was more pronounced with relatively smaller NA increases. Findings are discussed based on the existing solitary drinking literature.

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Drinking Together and Drinking Alone: A Social-Contextual Framework for Examining Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder

Cited by 77 publications

References 52 publications

Alcohol unleashes homo economicus by inhibiting cooperation

Alcohol unleashes homo economicus by inhibiting cooperation

Problematic Use of Alcohol and Online Gaming as Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

The influence of negative mood on solitary drinking preference: An experiment with young adult solitary drinkers

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