Future research aimed at understanding what it means to date several people would increase our understanding of why this particular romantic relationship status is associated with higher alcohol use. For instance, ecological momentary assessment data could be collected to test competing hypotheses about how alcohol is used in the context of dating several people. Do individuals use alcohol to facilitate interactions with their partners? Or do individuals who use more alcohol find themselves exposed to more potential dating partners, and thus see less value in forming an exclusive relationship? Additionally, a conceptual analysis of what emerging adults mean when they indicate that they are dating several people would be valuable for understanding how this relationship status is different from or similar to other romantic relationship experiences outside of commitment/exclusivity (Claxton & van Dulmen, 2013). For example, dating several people may also be associated with sexual hookups. A recent study showed that emerging adult females who report hooking up also tend to be higher in impulsivity and sensation-seeking (Fielder et al., 2013), which are traits also known to be related to higher alcohol use and problems (Magid & Colder, 2007).
