Understanding the Associations Between Romantic Relationship Conflict, Psychophysiological Responding and Alcohol Misuse Among Emerging Adults

Emerging Adults (EA) engage in heavy episodic drinking (HED) at a greater quantity and frequency than any other time in their lives, which may lead to significant short- and long-term consequences. Although much is known about the influence of peers in EA alcohol use, there is a dearth of research examining the ways in which romantic partners influence EA drinking behaviors. The proposed study bridges a crucial gap in the existing literature by examining behavioral and physiological risk and resilience factors in the acute link between EA relationship conflict and alcohol consumption. EA couples will engage in two conflict resolution tasks interspersed with two puzzle tasks and two alcohol administration procedures. Because high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) is associated with alcohol use and emotion regulation during stressful experiences, HF-HRV and other physiological data will be collected throughout the laboratory procedures.

NCT Number	NCT06976528
Lead Sponsor	New York University Collaborators: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Conditions	Heavy Episodic Drinking
Enrollment	160 participants
Start Date	2025-09-26
Primary Completion	2028-07-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-07-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-10