1.3.2 Explanations of impulse control disorders

Question 1

Dopamine - Biological explanation

Dopamine

Answer 1

A chemical which induces feelings of happiness and pleasure.

Question 2

Dopamine - Biological explanation

What does the dopamine explanationa argue?

Answer 2

Dopamine is triggered by rewarding stimuli, e.g. stealing may reward someone with dopamine, the ‘happy’ chemical.

This behaviour then becomes compulsive, since dopamine levels are reduced and the Kleptomaniac will engage in more stealing to feel the dopamine hit again.

When these behaviours are compulsive, it’s because levels of dopamine in the brain are reduced.

Question 3

Dopamine - Biological explanation

Striatum

Answer 3

Part of the basal ganglia.

Involved in making decisions, e.g. emotion, habit formation and reward.

Question 4

Dopamine - Biological explanation

Apart from after the behaviour is carried out (operant conditioning), when does dopamine get released?

Answer 4

Before previously rewarded behaviours, leading to excitement and anticipation (classical conditioning).

Question 5

Reward deficiency syndrome - Biological explanation

Reward deficiency

Answer 5

Involves dopamine resistance, a form of sensory deprivation of the brain’s reward of pleasure mechanisms.

This occurs because of an individual’s inability to derive reward from ordinary, everyday activities.

Question 6

Reward deficiency syndrome - Biological explanation

What may dopamine deficiency be?

Answer 6

Genetic.

Question 7

Reward deficiency syndrome - Biological explanation

What is kleptomania a possible side effect of?

Answer 7

Using synthetic dopamine to treat disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

There’s also evidence of the ‘dopamine factor’ in problem gambling and compulsive shopping.

Question 8

Biological explanations

Is the biological explanation of ICDs individual or situational?

Answer 8

Individual, arguing differences in people’s dopamine activity may be genetic and cause the disorders.

Question 9

Biological explanations

Strengths of the biological explanation

Answer 9

• RWA = helps explain why dopamine antagonists sometimes lead to ICDs as a side effect, this can help people make informed decisions about treatments.
• Supporting evidence = 51% of people with a gambling disorder carry the A1 allele of a gene which codes for dopamine receptors (Comings et al., 1996), compared to only 25% in the general population (Blum et al., 1996).

Question 10

Biological explanations

Criticisms of the biological explanation

Answer 10

• Ignores nurture = rats in poor environments were more likely to become addicted to morphine (Alenxander et al., 1981).
• Reductionist = underestimates role of cognitive/social factors, such as prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal depression and childhood bullying which are all linked to brain development. Stress could also increase vulnerability to ICDs.

Question 11

Issues and debates

The idea that A1 alleles are predisposed to dopamine deficiency and thus ICDs is…?

Answer 11

Deterministic.

Question 12

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Positive reinforcement

Answer 12

When a behaviour results in a reward, e.g. money or attention, this leads to the behaviour being repeated.

Question 13

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Schedules of reinforcement

Answer 13

A reinforcement schedule is a rule stating which instances of behaviour will be repeated.

Question 14

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Variable reinforcement schedule

Answer 14

A type of schedule reinforcement where only a proportion of responses are reinforced and there is no fixed pattern.

Question 15

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Which side of the nature vs nurture debate is positive reinforcement on?

Answer 15

The nurture side.

Question 16

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

What kind of reinforcement do gambling machines use?

Answer 16

Variable reinforcement, since a win comes after an unpredictable no. of responses.

This unpredictability often results in continued gambling.

Question 17

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Example of positive reinforcement

Answer 17

If someone wins on a scratch card, they will be encouraged to buy more of them in the hope to win again.

The enjoyment of winning acts as a positive reinforcer which leads to repetition of the behaviour.

Question 18

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Why does the positive reinforcement explanation argue gamblers will continue to gamble even after losing?

Answer 18

Due to schedules of reinforcement.

Question 19

Cognitive: Miller’s feeling state theory - Psychological explanations

When does Miller (2010) state disorders are created?

Answer 19

When ‘intense desire’ becomes linked to specific behaviours, creating a state dependency theory.

Question 20

Cognitive: Miller’s feeling state theory - Psychological explanations

State-dependent memory

Answer 20

When tension triggers retrieval of addictive memories.

Question 21

Cognitive: Miller’s feeling state theory - Psychological explanations

Summary of Miller’s feeling state theory

Answer 21

Tension triggers the retrieval of addictive memories (state-dependent memory).

They can also be triggered by people, object, events etc. (context-dependent memory).

Recall triggers positive feelings (feeling-states) and compulsive behaviour.

The release of tension and resulting euphoria strengthen the feeling-state, increasing the possibility of compulsive behaviour even further.

Negative emotions following the behaviour may also trigger the feeling-state, creating a vicious circle.

Question 22

Issues and debates

Does the cognitive explanation look at individual or situational explanations?

Answer 22

Partly individual, since it refers to life events relating to addictive memory and feeling-states, however, also situational since it recognises environmental cues can trigger feeling-states.

Question 23

Issues and debates

Is the idea of feeling-states deterministic or free-will?

Answer 23

Deterministic, since it implies that once triggered, the behaviour is unavoidable.

However, CBT has shown people can change how they think, feel and behave.

Question 24

Cognitive: Miller’s feeling state theory - Psychological explanations

Strengths and criticisms of the cognitive explanation

Answer 24

• Supporting evidence = Miller’s case study of john, who became a gambling addict since it made him stop feeling like a ‘loser’, which his father called him.
• Low reliability = ‘John’ case study was based on interviews which can’t be replicated, also may have been subjective.

Question 25

Behavioural: positive reinforcement - Psychological explanations

Strengths and criticisms of the behavioural explanation

Answer 25

• Nurture and nature focus = explains that findings cannot be explained by nature alone, for example, recognised that not all problem gamblers have the A1 allele.
• Incomplete explanation = focus on positive reinforcement may be misplaced; removal of tension is negatively reinforcing.