In translating these findings in relation to AD, recent developments in the field have allowed for further refinement of the construct of subjective response to alcohol and worthy of consideration in this study and others. Specifically, we have previously argued that subjective response to alcohol can be either protective, when they are primarily aversive in nature, or a risk factor for further drinking and alcoholism, when the predominant subjective experience is one of reward and stimulation (Ray et al., 2010a; Ray et al., 2009; Ray et al., 2010b). A recent meta-analysis of alcohol administration studies found support for two distinct mechanisms of risk, one marked by positive reinforcement and one marked by low level of response to alcohol, which is characterized by relative insensitivity to the aversive and punishing effects of alcohol (Quinn and Fromme, 2011). Moreover, a recent study combining alcohol administration with a longitudinal follow-up revealed that participants reporting more of the stimulant effects of alcohol and less of the sedative effects in the lab had a higher frequency of binge drinking, which was in turn a risk
