More recent work has suggested that alcohol’s pharmacological effects may be biphasic in nature (Earleywine, 1994a; Earleywine, 1994b; Earleywine & Martin, 1993; Erblich et al., 2003; Martin et al., 1993). Specifically, it has been documented that when blood alcohol levels are rising (i.e., the ascending limb of intoxication), alcohol produces robust stimulatory and other pleasurable subjective effects (Earleywine & Martin, 1993; Erblich et al., 2003). Conversely, when blood alcohol levels are declining (i.e., the descending limb of intoxication), alcohol’s effects are largely sedative and unpleasant (Earleywine & Martin, 1993; Erblich et al., 2003). This conceptualization of the effects of alcohol argues for the construct of subjective responses to be further parsed out into stimulant and sedative effects. Indeed, the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES; Earleywine & Martin, 1993) has been developed to directly assess the stimulant and sedative aspects of intoxication in alcohol administration studies. When subjective responses to alcohol are divided into stimulant and sedative effects, studies have shown that greater alcohol-induced stimulation and reinforcement is associated with increased alcohol consumption (Lewis & June, 1990; Wise & Bozarth, 1987),
