This study did not provide the opportunity to determine actual changes in drinking behavior by allowing women to self-administer alcohol doses in the laboratory as was done by Holdstock and de Wit (2000). Further, although women prospectively monitored their drinking behavior each night on the Daily Ratings Form, self-reported drinking at the different phases of the menstrual cycle could not be used since women were explicitly instructed to refrain from alcohol use the day before and the day of each laboratory session. Lastly, given the relatively subtle differences observed between FHP and FHN women in the present study, relevant information on potential sex differences is lacking since groups of FHP and FHN men were not included to allow direct comparisons using the same procedures and dependent measures.
