Using the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat to understand stress-induced alcohol consumption

University students engage in heavy episodic drinking more frequently than nonuniversity peers. While social activities unique to the university experience likely contribute to heavy episodic drinking, drastic lifestyle changes during the transition to university elicit stress. Students typically report drinking alcohol to reduce stress (i.e., coping motives); however, experimental research that attempts to emulate stress-induced consumption is mixed. Using the biopsychosocial model, it was expected those who perceive they have sufficient resources to overcome stressors experience challenge, associated with positive affect and self-control, while students who perceive stress as too demanding exhibit threat, linked to negative emotions and anxiety that facilitate alcohol use.

Experiment 1 (N = 55) examined how social stressors influence consumption and cardiovascular activity compared to control tasks (i.e., reading magazine), while Experiment 2 (N = 72) compared cognitive reappraisal with ineffective coping strategies often adopted by university students (e.g., ignoring stress).

Contrary to expectations, stressors incidentally promoted cardiovascular challenge and did not promote consumption in Experiment 1. Yet, reappraisal promoted cardiovascular challenge in Experiment 2, while ignoring stress facilitated threat and alcohol consumption. Across both experiments, cardiovascular reactivity mediated consumption. Drinking motives were also analyzed; however, drinking to reduce negative emotions was unrelated to stress-induced consumption.

Findings provide support for the role of physiology in facilitating alcohol use, suggesting potential mechanisms (i.e., threat appraisals) that may increase consumption following maladaptive coping. Results also highlight limitations and generalizability of common social stressors used to induce laboratory consumption. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).