Although alcohol is considered a depressant, it is known to produce both stimulant and sedative effects, with stimulant effects preceding sedative effects (Pohorecky, 1977). This biphasic effect of alcohol is central to the Differentiator Model (Newlin and Thomson, 1990), which purports that persons at risk for alcohol use disorders experience heightened positive-like effects of alcohol during the rising phase of the blood alcohol curve (BAC) and reduced sedative-like effects during the declining limb compared to their low-risk counterparts. Although various measures have been used over the years to assess alcohol’s effects (e.g., Addiction Research Center Inventory; Haertzen[0] et al., 1963; Subjective High Assessment Scale; Judd et al., 1977; Alcohol Sensation Scale; Maisto et al., 1980, and Profile of Mood States; McNair et al., 1971), the 14-item Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES; Martin et al., 1993) was the first systematic self-report scale designed to measure stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol as separate and distinct constructs.
