Adolescent alcohol use can result in adverse health and social outcomes, including elevated risk of future substance use disorders. Insecure attachment and heavy peer use are both linked to early problematic drinking, but the precise relationship between these variables is poorly understood. Further, mixed findings in prior literature highlight the importance of distinguishing between both dimensions of insecure attachment – anxiety and avoidance. This laboratory-based study investigated whether peer use moderates the association between attachment and laboratory alcohol consumption in a sample of 120 adolescents of legal drinking age (18–۲۱ years). The relationship between attachment and self-reported alcohol use was also investigated. It was hypothesized that both dimensions of insecure attachment would predict greater self-report and laboratory alcohol use, and that the presence of a heavy drinking peer would strengthen this relationship. Results indicated that attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, predicted self-report and laboratory alcohol use. Peer drinking did not moderate this effect. Findings emphasize the importance of investigating both attachment anxiety and avoidance, and suggest that future research should focus on mediating mechanisms between attachment anxiety and alcohol use.

Introduction

The onset of alcohol use typically occurs in adolescence and is associated with elevated risk of mental and physical health problems, premature death, injury, social dysfunction, and future substance use disorders (Hall et al., 2016). For these reasons, it is important to understand the risk factors for alcohol misuse to help develop effective interventions and treatments. Past research has investigated a range of environmental factors that play a role in alcohol-related problems, such as peer drinking and attachment quality. However, the interaction between these factors is unknown. This study examined the role of insecure attachment and heavy peer drinking in predicting laboratory adolescent drinking. The role of insecure attachment was also examined with self-reported drinking. Attachment is a key developmental construct that includes motivational, behavioral, and interactional systems, initially between caregivers and infants (Schindler & Broning, 2015). Infant attachment quality is theorized to affect interpersonal relationships throughout the lifespan via its impact on inner working models, or schemas (Bowlby, 1977). Schemas are created during infant-caregiver attachment and further developed and revised in later relationships (Bowbly, 1973). Ainsworth (1978) originally classified attachment styles as secure and insecure by studying infants’ relationship with their primary attachment figure (e.g., mother). Further research demonstrated continuity of these attachment patterns from infancy to adulthood (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998; Hazan & Shaver, 1987).