Anticipated biphasic effects of alcohol vary with risk for alcoholism: a preliminary report

Twenty-five sons of alcoholic fathers and 114 sons of nonalcoholic fathers reported the stimulant and sedative effects they expected alcohol would produce on both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. High-risk subjects anticipated more stimulation on the ascending limb, and more sedation on the descending limb than low-risk subjects. These results are comparable to some studies of subjective responses to alcohol in high- and low-risk men, and to previous work on risk and anticipated effects. These expectancies may contribute to risk-related differences in responses to alcohol, as well as the development of problem drinking.