Research & Resources

In this study, researchers sought to answer whether listening to personal party music would influence risky drinking decisions (relative to risky food decisions), over and above listening to other types of personal music or no music at all. The study focused on young adult women, who are understudied in the alcohol literature, and for whom alcohol abuse leads to greater health consequences when compared to men. They found that listening to “party music” increased the likelihood of making risky drinking decisions compared to “home music.” This was true for all types of alcohol use, although heavy users made more risky drinking decisions overall. When young adult women were offered free hypothetical food or drinks, they almost always decided to eat or drink.  The study, “Risky drinking decisions: The influence of party music and alcohol abuse in young adult women,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and published in the journal Alcohol.