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Want to grab a drink? If you’re interested in dating, you’re more likely to do it than if you’re not interested in dating. In fact, being interested in dating leads to a greater tendency to drink alcohol, research shows . While we’re all ready for a drink after the past year, scientists have found that singles who date seem to need it more.
Researchers from Washington State University in the United States followed 700 young adults (18-25 years old) who filled out monthly surveys for two years. By following the participants for a longer period of time, the researchers gained insight into changes in alcohol consumption and how their relationship status affects it.
“Young adults are changing so much in terms of social relationships that having these monthly data really allowed us to see nuances and changes in alcohol use depending on social situations,” said Jennifer Duckworth, lead author of the study. “The idea is to understand whether young adults might view alcohol as a way to facilitate relationships. They might view alcohol as a way to make going out easier or more fun.”
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Singles who date drink more alcohol
The study, published yesterday in the journal Substance Use & Misuse , divided the single participants into two groups: (casual) dating and not interested in dating. That distinction showed a big difference: singles who date drink more alcohol than singles who are not interested in dating.
Because the surveys were completed by participants each month, the researchers were able to study all of the changes as participants changed relationship status. “In a month when someone is not interested in dating, their alcohol consumption tends to be lower,” Duckworth says. “Then when they start dating again, their alcohol consumption tends to be higher.”
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Previous research has shown that young adults in relationships tend to drink less than singles. But these studies did not distinguish between singles – whether or not they were interested in dating.
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