Social influence increases the value and consumption of alcohol in the laboratory.

Yates, Jack ORCID: 0000-0001-8455-9394, Miller, Benjamin, Arraztio Cordoba, Alazne ORCID: 0000-0002-2592-6219, Warren, Jasmine Grace ORCID: 0000-0001-6676-2954, Batterley, Michael ORCID: 0000-0001-7605-7677, Gay, Jessica Catherine, Rose, Abigail K ORCID: 0000-0003-3267-7318, Roberts, Carl A ORCID: 0000-0003-4275-601X and Jones, Andrew (2025) Social influence increases the value and consumption of alcohol in the laboratory. Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 49 (9). pp. 2038-2048. ISSN 2993-7175, 2993-7175

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Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Previous research has demonstrated the perceived value of alcohol is transient in hypothetical social and environmental contexts. This study sought to further expand on this by examining whether the social influence of a confederate and the physical environment could be manipulated to influence the value of alcohol and ad libitum alcohol consumption, and thus provide support for the role of value as a mechanism underlying alcohol use.<h4>Method</h4>A total of 140 (90 female, Mean age = 25.81, SD = 14.20, Mean AUDIT = 11.51, SD = 5.38) participants completed a between-subjects 2 (environment: bar labortaory vs. standard unadorned) × 2 (social influence: positive appraisal vs. negative appraisal) design in which they completed a brief assessment of alcohol demand, a concurrent choice task, and a visual analogue scale measuring alcohol value, following a limited drinking session with a confederate in one of two laboratory settings, and then completed an ad libitum bogus taste test.<h4>Results</h4>Social influence had a significant effect on intensity index of demand (F (1,133) = 4.74, p = 0.031, ηp² = 0.03) and on ad libitum consumption (F (1,135) = 7.60, p = 0.007, ηp² = 0.05) with positive appraisal having greater intensity scores (Mean = 4.34, SD = 2.80) compared with the negative appraisal (Mean = 3.39, SD = 2.23) and more alcohol consumed (Mean = 221.07 mL, SD = 121.76 vs. Mean = 164.71 mL, SD = 111.80). The intensity index also mediated the relationship between social influence and ad libitum consumption (B = 10.40, 95% Bootstrapped CIs = 0.34 to 23.59). There were no significant main effects of environment and no interactions between social influence and environment.<h4>Conclusion</h4>These findings suggest alcohol value is sensitive to social influence. Increased value as a result of positive alcohol appraisals by others had a significant effect on ad libitum consumption and that the intensity index of demand mediated the relationship.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans, Alcohol Drinking, Social Environment, Adolescent, Adult, Laboratories, Female, Male, Young Adult
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	13 Aug 2025 09:26
Last Modified:	04 Oct 2025 03:10
DOI:	10.1111/acer.70115
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3194053