The Tufts Addiction Research Center Inventory--Morphine Benzedrine Group (ARCI-MBG) scale was designed to measure benzodiazepine-induced mood elevation. The reliability and validity of the Tufts ARCI-MBG scale were determined in 64 subjects with a history of alcoholism (HA), a positive history of parental alcoholism, defined as one or both parents meeting DSM-III-R criteria for alcohol dependence (PHP), and matched control subjects. Significant correlations were found for within-day Tufts ARCI-MBG scale scores for all groups and for between-day scores for PHP and matched control subjects. Interitem reliability was significant for pooled baseline scores. For HA subjects, correlations between mean Tufts ARCI-MBG scale and Drug Liking scores that were obtained after either alprazolam or diazepam administration were significant. These results suggest that the Tufts ARCI-MBG scale is a reliable test that is a valid measure of benzodiazepine-induced mood elevation.