A third shortcoming concerns our study design. We employed a between-subject design with a single-dose methodology in which each subject received a single dose or placebo, and accordingly the risk-taking data were gathered in just one measurement per subject. However, it should be noted that we found substantial variable between-subject variability in both ERP patterns and response to the acute alcohol effects. Therefore, a within-subjects design may have provided a stronger demonstration of the acute effects of alcohol and allowed for a dose-response determination—an essential condition for the evaluation of direct pharmacological effects. Future research could extend the current findings by using a within-subjects design.
