Final answer:
Heather would demonstrate the most behavioral tolerance to alcohol while drinking heavily at college parties, showing an ability to adapt and maintain functional behavior despite intoxication. This tolerance can be risky as it may mask the extent of impairment. Additionally, chronic exposure to alcohol can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Heather, who went away to college and began drinking heavily at parties, would most likely show the most tolerance to alcohol in the form of behavioral tolerance. This type of tolerance refers to how an individual's behavior may adapt to being functional despite being under the influence of alcohol. Users with high behavioral tolerance might appear less impaired than they are, as their bodies have adjusted and learned to perform tasks even while intoxicated, which can be especially risky if they attempt activities like driving.
Physical tolerance is when the body adapts to the presence of alcohol, requiring increasing amounts of alcohol to achieve the same effects. With acute tolerance, the body's response changes over the course of a single exposure to the drug. It's possible for Heather to have developed physical tolerance, but given the context of her drinking behavior at college parties, behavioral tolerance is more indicative of the ability to function outwardly in social scenarios while consuming large amounts of alcohol.
Chronic exposure to substances like alcohol can also lead to physiological adaptations and may result in physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms when consumption is stopped. These adaptations, along with psychological dependence, can make the abuse potential of central nervous system depressants relatively high.