Second, because of legal and ethical concerns, the vast majority of alcohol-challenge studies have excluded participants under the age of 21. Thus, although we refer to FH+ and heavier-drinking groups as ‘at risk,’ some of those at highest risk are likely excluded from this paradigm because they would have already met criteria for alcohol dependence prior to age 21 (e.g., Li et al., 2004). Future research employing alternative paradigms could strengthen existing support for the LLRM and DM. One such alternative involves retrospective assessments of subjective response to early drinking experiences (e.g., Schuckit et al., 1997), but others—potentially including animal models or structured interviews or experience sampling methods among youth—should be considered as well.
