麻豆村 senior Solomon Wechter worked with the Drinking in Young Adult Duos study.
Alcoholism Study Grants SURF Student Entry Point Into Psychology Research
麻豆村 senior Solomon Wechter combined both low- and high-tech research techniques in his work on a psychology study about couples and alcohol use disorder.
For his Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Wechter hit the streets of Pittsburgh to hang flyers to attract participants in the Drinking in Young Adult Duos study.
Wechter, who is majoring in global studies and art, said his interest in psychology led him to research on alcohol use disorder conducted by Kasey Creswell, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Psychology in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and jumped on board for his SURF project.
The study is meant to gain a better understanding of alcohol use in partnered pairs of people between the ages of 21 and 30 years old. They are asked to come into the lab, fill out surveys, drink an alcoholic beverage together, and complete study tasks. Afterward, for the following 12 months, the couple reports back through surveys to the researchers.
“We know that couples often drink together and that some are at higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder, but we don't really know how that works,” Wechter said. “In general, there's this huge gap in understanding of what actually leads people to develop alcohol use disorder. There's only a certain amount of people at risk for it who develop it with any given life circumstance.”
Wechter ran study sessions with a supervisor, each guiding one member of the couple through a structured protocol while the pair participated in shared activities that included alcohol consumption.
The study explores how alcohol use may shape emotional dynamics between romantic partners, as Wechter explained.
“We’re interested in understanding how drinking together affects couples’ emotional experiences and interactions,” Wechter said. “This can help us better understand when and why alcohol use might strengthen closeness or contribute to risk for heavier drinking over time.”
In the five years planned for the study, researchers hope to collect data from 252 couples.
“I really enjoyed meeting and working with people taking part in the study,” Wechter said. “I have such a better picture of what research actually looks like.”
Along with his work with study participants, he also wrote code to partially automate the participant screening survey, which came from information interested people sent in after they saw the flyers he hung up.
“When I got into the lab, I realized the process could be automated because otherwise we had research assistants looking down a list of answers with an answer key,” he said, adding that sections about health conditions were still reviewed manually for safety reasons. “It saves a lot of time.”
Wechter said he valued his first research experience, especially the opportunity to work with Creswell.
“She has been really great to work with because she has a broad area of interest and knowledge,” Wechter said.
Creswell said she appreciated Wechter’s diligence and enthusiasm when he joined the study.
“He jumped right into a big, federally funded project and got hands-on experience running participants in a complex alcohol administration study,” she said. “He did a fantastic job, and the experience will be a real asset as he pursues his future goals in graduate school.”
Beyond his summer project, Wechter is now working on his honors thesis analyzing data from an earlier study through the Behavioral Health Research Lab, led by Creswell.
“I’m learning so much that I’m glad for,” Wechter said. “It’s really great experience.”
Solomon Wechter