Figure 1 presents the risk curve for average daily volume of ethanol intake as a function of two alternate measures of severity, the unweighted number of positive criteria (range = 0 to 11) and the severity score that was weighted by the respective severity threshold parameters of the endorsed criteria (range = 0 to 26.07). In order to plot them along a common horizontal axis, the severity scores were multiplied by 11/26.07 and rounded to the nearest integer. As is evident in the graphs, the risk curves were closely parallel, with slightly higher values associated with the severity score, especially among individuals endorsing 3–6 criteria or their severity score equivalent. That the curves are very similar is not surprising given the correlation, r=.99, between the two continuous severity measures. Risk curves for the seven other validating measures were likewise very similar for the two measures, although the shapes of the risk curves varied across outcomes – more linear for the quantity and frequency of drinking measures and more strongly exponential for initiation of drinking prior to age 15 (data not shown).
