8.1.3 learning explanation of addiction Flashcards
What is the learning theories assumption for addiction?
addictive behaviours are learned from the environment (conditioning or SLT) and can therefore be unlearned
Classical conditioning explanation for addiction - cues
The environment where addicts take a drug can become a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned response is the response of the brain and body.
The brain and body are signalled by the cue of the environment/equipment to go into a state where any lethal effect of the drug is countered
this is what tolerance is - this is y more and more of a drug is needed
Classical conditioning in addiction
NS that occur just before, or at the same time, as an UCS (Heroin) and a UCR (euphoria/ relaxation) eventually overtime become CS through association.
e.g. associating the sights, smell and sounds of a pub with alcohol means the pub environment, even without alcohol present, produces physiological effects (increased heart rate and body temp) and prepares the body for alcohol = cravings when someone walks into a pub.
Examples of conditioned stimuli in addiction
● Drug equipment (syringe, lighter, bottle opener)
● Environment (room, pub, club)
● Opening a bottle/ packet of cigarettes/ rolling a cigarette
How can operant conditioning explain initiation of addiction
OC states that when people, such as drug addicts are reinforced, they will repeat the behaviour
pos reinforcement is when taking the drug gives the addict something they desire, such as feeling good
neg reinforcement is when something undesirable is avoided or removed after taking the drug
pos reinforcement may explain why addicts take the drug again after the first time, as they associate taking the drug with a desirable outcome
neg reinforcement explains why they continue taking it once they are dependent on heroin as it removes withdrawal symptoms
A primary reinforcer satisfies a basic need, in heroin addicts it may be that taking heroin allows them to fit in with their groups of friends.
How can operant conditioning explain maintenance/relapse of addiction
Feelings of pleasure encourage an individual to repeat drug taking behaviour (positive reinforcement). Tolerance will be built up so more is needed each time to experience same initial ‘high’.
Drugs may be repeatedly taken to avoid withdrawal symptoms (nausea, headaches, anxiety). They may be taken to avoid feelings of negative emotion in someone’s life such as loneliness, trauma and distress (negative reinforcement).
Negative punishment in addiction
Addiction can result in the breakdown of relationships, support networks and loss of jobs which can sometimes act as enough of a meaningful punishment to motivate someone to seek treatment and recovery.
SLT as an explanation for addiction
If RMs (ppl we identify with and look up to) use recreational drugs, it is likely an individual will do so too through observation and imitation
If the role model who takes the drug has relevance, then the person is more likely to pay attention to that behaviour and remember it
Vicarious reinforcement can explain why despite smoking being an unpleasant experience initially (feeling nauseous) people continue with it
Seeing role model (parent, sibling, peer) rewarded for the substance use (being accepted into a social group, enjoying use), they may be motivated to imitate it
If they receive positive reinforcement for this behaviour they will be motivated to repeat it
learning explanation of add - supporting evidence
1st strength
P - Learning theories like CC have supporting scientific evidence
E - Siegal found rats overdosed on heroin when given doses in a new environment to the one they had been conditioned in. Shows cues in the environment can ‘prepare’ the body for substance and reduce overdose.
T - Shows addiction is classically conditioned, not just biological.
learning exp - valid theories explain diff stages of addiction
2nd strength
P - Valid theories explain different stages of addiction
E - SLT explains how people start using, first experience of smoking can be unpleasant (nausea) but people imitate they see role models enjoying it (vicarious reinforcement)
Operant conditioning can explain why people continue to take drugs despite knowing it is physically detrimental to their health (negative reinforcement - avoiding withdrawal symptoms).
T: Using combination of learning theories provides full explanation.
learning explanation of add - application to effective treatment
3rd strength
P - Application to Effective treatment -Aversion Therapy
E - Pleasurable feelings associated with substance are replaced with nausea/ sickness caused by an emetic drug, so it’s no longer enjoyed.
Because it’s an effective treatment, CC can be accepted as an explanation (BUT DOESN’T WORK FOR ALL so may be a combination)
learning explanation of add - contradicting evidence
1st weakness
P - Contradicting evidence
E - Olds & Milner (1954) observed when the septal area in the reward pathway is stimulated with electricity it creates a rewarding effect, leading the repetition of behaviour (rats kept pressing the lever which stimulated their brain)
T - Providing scientific, observable evidence for biological cause, lowering validity of learning exp
learning explanation of add - contradicting evidence 2
2nd weakness
P - Contradicting evidence
E - Bossert (2007) Rats will keep pressing a lever to receive heroin that goes directly to the nucleus accumbens (NA) in the mesolimbic dopa reward pathway through a needle. If the needle is placed near the NA rather than directly into it, the rat doesn’t self-administer the heroin.
T- Therefore this provides scientific, observable evidence for the reward pathway, suggesting learning exp are not fully valid
learning exp of add - alternative treatment is effective
3rd weakness
P - However, a weakness is that there is alternative effective treatment based off the biological cause
- Methadone - opioid agonist binds to opioid receptors, reduces GABA, increases dopamine, resulting in a medically controlled high, removes the need to use heroin
- Naltrexone for alcohol (reduces ‘buzz’)
- Nicotine replacement therapy (‘clean’ nicotine) are also successful treatments (BUT DOESN’T WORK FOR ALL so may be a combination)
T - ???
learning exp of add - external validity
4th weakness
P - Low external validity
E - Many supporting studies use animals. Lab studies with animals have high control and reinforcement is predictable & immediate, which may not be the case for humans in everyday life.
T - This is a problem because the findings may not be applicable to real world addictive behaviour in humans.
