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The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

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Longitudinal Associations Between Other-Sex Close Friends and Alcohol Use is a Between-, Not Within-, Person Process.

Amy M Loviska¹, Kristine Marceau¹, Valerie S Knopik¹

¹Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

Substance Use & Misuse

|May 28, 2026

Summary

Adolescent alcohol use is linked to having more other-sex friends, but this connection is between individuals, not a reciprocal relationship within a person. This finding impacts theories on peer influence and adolescent behavior.

Keywords:

Adolescence alcohol close friendships other-sex close friends

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Published on: December 14, 2014

Area of Science:

Adolescent development
Social psychology
Substance use research

Background:

Adolescent alcohol use is a significant public health concern.
Peer influence is a key factor in adolescent substance use.
The specific role of other-sex friendships in adolescent alcohol use requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the longitudinal, reciprocal associations between the proportion of other-sex close friends and adolescent alcohol use.
To determine if these associations differ by adolescent sex.
To clarify whether the relationship is a between-person or within-person process.

Main Methods:

A cohort-sequential study of 1021 adolescents (mean age 12.22 years).
Alcohol use measured via progression on alcohol use milestones.
Proportion of other-sex friends assessed by adolescent self-report of their three closest friends' sex.
A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model analyzed longitudinal associations across six timepoints.

Main Results:

Both alcohol use and proportion of other-sex friends were stable traits over time.
No concurrent or cross-lagged associations were found, indicating no within-person reciprocal relationship.
A significant positive between-person association was observed: adolescents with more other-sex friends reported higher alcohol involvement.

Conclusions:

The influence of other-sex friendships on adolescent alcohol use operates at a between-person level, not through reciprocal within-person mechanisms.
Existing theories emphasizing within-person reciprocal peer influence may not fully apply to other-sex friendships and alcohol use.
Findings suggest that individual differences in social networks, rather than dynamic reciprocal processes, may explain the link between other-sex friendships and alcohol use.