[A] Learning approach to smoking

Question 1

[INITIATION] What does social learning theory suggest?

Answer 1

An individual wants to smoke when they see others being rewarded for it, by becoming popular, and want to receive the same reward.

Question 2

[INITIATION] How do people see role models’ smoking?

Answer 2

They see only the positive consequences and not the negative consequences.

Question 3

[INITIATION] What does operant conditioning suggest?

Answer 3

People start smoking for the positive reinforcement of approval from others.

Question 4

[INITIATION] What does classical conditioning suggest?

Answer 4

People learn to associate smoking with situations or moods that are desirable.

Question 5

[INITIATION] What did Mayeux et al find?

Answer 5

A positive correlation between smoking at age 16 and popularity at age 18.

Question 6

[INITIATION] What is a problem with Mayeux et al’s findings?

Answer 6

They are only correlational, so cause and effect cannot be established.

Question 7

[INITIATION] What did DiBlasio and Benda find?

Answer 7

Peer group influences were the primary influence for adolescents who started smoking.

Question 8

[INITIATION] What did Nida report?

Answer 8

90% of smokers in the US took up the habit whilst teenagers and blamed this on their peers.

Question 9

[INITIATION] What did Brynner find?

Answer 9

Media images of smoking create perceptions of smoking as being attractive and tough.

Question 10

[INITIATION] Why isn’t the learning theory explanation of initiation useful?

Answer 10

It explains why young people start smoking, but struggles to explain why older people do.

Question 11

[INITIATION] What can’t operant conditioning explain?

Answer 11

Why children continue to smoke, even though the first experience is unpleasant.

Question 12

[MAINTENANCE] What does operant conditioning suggest?

Answer 12

Addiction is maintained due to the pleasurable feelings produced by increased levels of dopamine and withdrawal symptoms negatively reinforce the behaviour.

Question 13

[MAINTENANCE] What makes smoking hard to give up?

Answer 13

The positive reinforcement from feeling sociable when smoking.

Question 14

[MAINTENANCE] What does classical conditioning suggest?

Answer 14

The repetitive act of smoking eventually leads to a strong conditioned association between the sensory aspects of smoking and the reinforcing effects of nicotine.

Question 15

[MAINTENANCE] What did Carter and Tiffany find?

Answer 15

Addicts start to associate certain stimuli with their addictive behaviour like items such as cigarette lighters and situations and environments such as pubs.

Question 16

[MAINTENANCE] What other associations could maintain smoking?

Answer 16

Physiological associations, such as always smoking after a meal.

Question 17

[MAINTENANCE] What did Levin and Rose do?

Answer 17

Gave rats an intravenous dose of nicotine, then offers two water bottles to them, one of which was laced with nicotine. The rats drank more from the nicotine bottle.

Question 18

[MAINTENANCE] What did Saladin et al find?

Answer 18

Women are more susceptible to smoking related cues than men and this may be particularly true at certain stages in the menstrual cycle.

Question 19

[MAINTENANCE] What is a problem with Levin and Rose’s study?

Answer 19

Animal studies cannot be generalised to humans and are unethical.

Question 20

[MAINTENANCE] What is a problem with the learning theory of maintenance of smoking?

Answer 20

It does not account for individual differences, it is likely that everyone will be exposed to cues yet not all people maintain the behaviour.

Question 21

[RELAPSE] How would operant conditioning explain relapse?

Answer 21

As a response to negative reinforcement in the form of withdrawal symptoms which are unpleasant.

Question 22

[RELAPSE] How would classical conditioning explain relapse?

Answer 22

Environmental cues present during the performance of addictive behaviour become associated with pleasure, so when one is confronted with cues the likelihood of their relapse increases.

Question 23

[RELAPSE] What did Parrott find?

Answer 23

Abstaining from nicotine causes increased stress and anxiety in the form of cravings.

Question 24

[RELAPSE] What is an advantage of the idea of cue exposure?

Answer 24

Cue exposure (controlled) has been found to be effective during treatment and prevent relapse.

Question 25

[RELAPSE] What doesn’t the learning theory explain?

Answer 25

Those who smoke on occasion but are not addicted.