Decades ago, a psychologist was setting up an experiment to study how drinking affects anxiety and heart rate. What he observed during the initial phases of his research sparked a deeper curiosity about social dynamics.
Michael Sayette, a psychology professor at the University of Pittsburgh, noticed that women were often left out of such studies. To address this, he invited five female volunteers to his lab to drink, intending to establish blood alcohol benchmarks for his experiment.
These young women, all in their twenties, were strangers to each other and quite reserved when they first arrived. However, as they slowly consumed their drinks, their demeanor began to change. Casual chats turned into chuckles, and within an hour, their conversation was vibrant, filled with genuine laughter, as Dr. Sayette remembered.
“Within an hour, they transformed from polite strangers to what appeared to be the best of friends,” Dr. Sayette recounted in a recent interview. He added that the shift was so obvious, “you didn’t need fancy statistics to notice what was happening.”
This observation contrasts with a recent public discussion. In January, when new federal dietary guidelines were introduced, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, commented on alcohol’s role in fostering social connections.
The updated guidelines recommended drinking “less” for improved health. Notably, they removed specific daily limits of one drink for women and two for men, despite existing evidence suggesting that health risks, including cancer, can rise even with very low alcohol intake.
Dr. Oz justified this change by stating, “Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together.”
He further clarified his personal stance, saying, “In the best-case scenario, I don’t think you should drink alcohol.”
Later, Dr. Oz told TMZ that he believed the previous daily alcohol limits were likely too generous, advising that men should drink less than two drinks per day and women less than one.
He emphasized that no scientific data supports health benefits from alcohol consumption, suggesting its sole advantage lies in helping people enjoy time with friends.
However, experts highlight that the reality of social drinking is far more intricate than this simple assessment. While drinking alone is a known warning sign for alcohol problems, engaging with others is also not without its dangers.
The majority of alcohol intake occurs in social environments, and individuals often consume more when surrounded by others. This type of drinking has also been linked to an increased risk of violence and accidents.
Kasey G. Creswell, an associate professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, agrees with part of Dr. Oz’s sentiment: “Dr. Oz is right — it is really about talking and smiling and connecting.” She adds that this is precisely why alcohol can become so addictive for certain individuals.
“People aren’t merely craving the alcoholic beverage; they’re seeking a quick sense of belonging, which is a fundamental human need,” Dr. Creswell explained. “Alcohol can undeniably facilitate that feeling.”
Dr. Creswell, along with Catharine E. Fairbairn, an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, highlighted in a 2024 editorial in the journal Addiction that much of the research on alcohol’s effects in lab settings has overlooked its crucial social context.
Their review of nearly 1,000 studies on alcohol consumption, published up to 2023, revealed a significant imbalance: over 90 percent of these studies focused on individuals drinking alone. This is despite the fact that most people, regardless of age or drinking habits, typically consume alcohol in social situations.
Because of this oversight, Dr. Creswell and Dr. Fairbairn contend that studies on solitary drinking fail to capture a critical factor contributing to alcohol use disorder: the reinforcing social effects of alcohol.
Golden Moments and the Science of Social Bonding
That initial, unexpected observation of the women’s changing interactions prompted Dr. Sayette to conduct one of the most extensive laboratory studies ever on social drinking among strangers.
Dr. Sayette noted that while much research focused on the negative consequences of alcohol, such as violence and aggression, it often failed to address a fundamental question: “Why are people doing it? What are people getting out of consuming alcohol?”
To investigate this, Dr. Sayette’s team recruited 720 social drinkers, evenly split between men and women aged 21 to 28, to participate in his University of Pittsburgh lab study.
It was crucial that none of the participants knew each other, as the study specifically aimed to understand how bonds form between strangers, without the influence of pre-existing relationships.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one received a vodka-cranberry cocktail, another an alcohol-free placebo designed to look and smell like a cocktail, and the third group drank only plain cranberry juice.
Each participant was instructed to consume one-third of their drink every 12 minutes, aware that their interactions were being recorded on video.
Throughout the experiment, blood alcohol levels were monitored. Afterward, subjects answered questions about their perceived connection with their two drinking companions. Researchers also meticulously analyzed the video recordings for facial expressions and speech patterns.
The 2012 study results were remarkable: participants who consumed alcohol talked significantly more, smiled for longer durations, and reported higher levels of group bonding compared to non-drinking groups.
Drinkers were also far more likely to engage in fluid, three-way conversations and experienced more “golden moments,” a term coined by Dr. Sayette for instances where all three group members shared large, genuine Duchenne smiles – those that reach the eyes, creating crow’s feet.
A subsequent study involving 393 young, heavy drinkers echoed these findings: groups consuming alcohol spoke more, had more three-way exchanges, and encountered fewer uncomfortable silences.
Additionally, these participants showed a quicker increase in Duchenne smiles and expressed stronger positive emotions and feelings of social connection.
Experts emphasize that comprehending the nuances of social drinking is vital for identifying individuals most vulnerable to developing alcohol use disorder.
Dr. Julia Buckner, a psychology professor at Louisiana State University, has researched the motivations behind “pre-gaming” or “pre-partying” – the act of drinking before a primary social event.
“Socially anxious individuals experience anxiety not just during social interactions, but also anticipatory anxiety when merely contemplating a social event, often worrying, ‘What if I say something foolish? Will others judge me?’” Dr. Buckner explained.
Her research indicates that pre-gaming to ease these pre-social jitters often leads socially anxious individuals to consume even more alcohol during the actual event. This could explain why those with social anxiety disorder are four times more prone to developing alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol’s ability to enhance social interactions largely stems from its capacity to lessen the fear of rejection—a stressor that affects more than just those with social anxiety. Under alcohol’s influence, people tend to talk more, become more open, and share personal details, fostering a greater sense of connection.
Todd Kashdan, a professor of psychiatry at George Mason University, describes the physiological effects: “You have a reduction in your heart rate, and you sweat less. It gives you a kind of myopia — you get tunnel vision. You’re in the moment.”
However, Dr. Kashdan criticized Dr. Oz’s message for implying that alcohol serves as a solution to social issues and loneliness, while overlooking its strong link to more problematic behaviors.
“That duality is incredibly important and was notably absent from his statement,” Dr. Kashdan emphasized. “While it acts as a social lubricant, relying on it significantly increases the likelihood of developing alcohol problems.”
Dr. Fairbairn echoed this sentiment, stating that “most of the harm that comes from alcohol, certainly at the aggregate societal level,” is predominantly “due mostly or mainly to drinking with their buddies.”
She pointed out that for individuals with drinking problems, three out of four drinking occasions take place in social environments.
When approached for comment, Emily G. Hilliard, a spokeswoman for Health and Human Services, reaffirmed Dr. Oz’s position and referenced the updated guidelines, which advise Americans to reduce alcohol consumption for better health and recommend complete abstinence for vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and those susceptible to alcohol use disorders.
Addiction specialists acknowledge the importance of social connection for overall well-being, but consistently highlight that enjoying time with friends does not necessitate alcohol.
John Kelly, a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Harvard, concluded by noting, “Fifty percent of the population doesn’t drink anything in any given year, but those people still socialize.”