Addiction

Question 1

explanation for nicotine addiction

Nicotine addiction- brain chem-dopamine
Outline
- dani et al proposed smoking stimulates increased activity in Mesolimbic pathway.( specifically nucleus accumbens)
- this acts as a reward system
How
-nicotine binds to nAChRs causing nuerons to fire more therefore releasing more dopamine creating feelings of reward.
-overtime nAChR receptors become desensitised
-meaning more stimulation is required to get dopamine levels a high as they were originally to create the same feeling
-therefore addicts no longer smoke as they want to but be Asie they need to.
-loss of nicotine in blood can cause anxiety, sadness and concentration issues(withdrawal symptoms)

Answer 1

Evaluation
- evidence supporting the role of nAChR receptors and dopamine in nicotine addiction comes fr animal research on rats and monkeys
-caine found mutant mice with broken nAChR receptors did not show increased dopamine after being given nicotine
-they did also not show willingness to work form nicotine compared to mice with intact nAChRs who did
- this shows is the importance of nAChR receptors in the role of nicotine addiction
Further
- further evidence supports how long term exposure to nicotine affects the body
-perez research on monkeys showed less dopamine release in nucleus accumbens- so more nicotine is needed to get back similar brain activation
-this explains why smokers increase their smoking overtime as they need to have same reward they used to have.
RWA-
-real world application shows us treatments for nicotine addiction known as NRT(nicotine replacement therapy)
- gum, patches and inhalers.
-more effective to help smokers quit
-research showed NRT users were 70% more likely to to abstain from smoking after 6 months

Question 2

explanations for nicotine addiction- LT

learning theory applied to smoking behaviour
- bandura
- learnt through observation
- reinforced by role models- vicarious reinforcement
- parents or rm
operant coditioning
- once start smoking smokers gain posititvie reinforcement that compels them to repeat behaviours
- nicotine increases feelings of pleasure
- provides social pleasures e.g. looking cool or fitting in
- negative reinforcement
- after smoking lots experience withdrawl symptoms when nicotine blood level drops
- disturbed sleep, anxiety, restlessness
- reduced by smoking again
- smoking to rid withdrawls is negative reinforcement

Answer 2

evaluation- S/LT
- benda
- teenagers that smoked more more likely to hang out with other smokers- lt
- karcher
- if parents smoke 2 times likeely to smoke- 2.5 if siblings and 8 times if frineds
evaluation- cc oc
- non human studies- levin
- rats trained to lick sensor to give nicotine licked more after each session- shwoing the reward system of nicotine
- negative reinforcement- oc
- daily smokers report cravings, anger, irritation- rested by smoking- showing negative reinforcemeent
- how long after waking up do theysmoke?

Question 3

explanations for nictine addcition- LT

Cue theory-CC
-pleasure of smoking-primary reinforcer
- theory proposes through process of CC addicts learn to associate cues(smell of smoke, seeing a cigarette) with addictive behaviour
- in tunrn this causes arousal and triggers craving for smoking
- these are secondary reinforcements(learned
-research shows when people see patches or ashtrays smokers may feel pleasure
-

Answer 3

**Evaluation
-supporting evidence showing the importance of conditioned cues encoraging smoking behaviour is Carpenter
-shows Daily smokers who expericed smells of of cigarettes of seeing pictures or in person resulted them in having significant cravings
-further research shows is that when smokers were asked to take a puff of a cigarette when showed a photo of a banana would later have a rise in cravings and arousal(meadows by skin conductance)
-this supports the idea of cue reactivity theory and secondary reinforcements on smoking behaviours.
-research also shows the antithesis of this. Smith carried out research to give people electric shocks anytime they conveyed smoking behaviours. 52%smokers managed to quit for a year after this compared to a 20% that quit on their own. This is also known as aversion therapy.

Question 4

explanantions of gambling
- expectancy theory- addicitive behaviours result of conscious epectations
- costs and benefits
- griffiths- to look cool and rleeive stress
- becomes a addiction qwhen behaviours become sub conscious cognitive biases
- i cant resist it, its not my fault
- congnitive biases- rickwood
- skills and judgement- illusion of control, overestimate ability
- ritual behavuours- greater probavlity if carry out rituakistic behaviours
- selective recall- foget details of loss but remember wins
- gamblers fallacy- losig streak so a win mut come soon
cog biases in relapse
- proposes addicts might have similarly fsulty expectations of quitting
- e.g. dieting or disinhibitin
- a small relapse makes them feel helpless and say i will never get better or i can help it

Answer 4

evaluation
- moore
- interviewed teens, thsoe who were impartial to gambling were most likely to gamble
evaluation
- griffths
- suporting cog bias and irational belifs
- 30 regualr gamblers and 30 non reg gamblers
- recorded their self talk as played fruit skill
- found RG showed more cog biases, believed more skillfull than actually were
- if i only put a quid in it will bluff it
- they also explained losses as near wins
- this time it will come
- does not shwo cause behind these biases
- also deep held beliefs are not easy to talk about
RWA
- beck
- CBT
- gab;ers with strong expectations to fail are less likey to quit therefore relapsing
-

Question 5

reducing addiction- behavioural intenrion

Question 6

TPB( theory of planned behaviour)
-ajzen
- proposes an individuals behaviour can be predicted by their intention to do sais behaviour. Intention is a result of:
behavioural attitude(my view):
-individuals attitudes about certain behaviour
-thinking about consequences of performing behaviour( it will feel good, it will be fun)
Subjective norms(others views):
-individuals judgement about what others will think(nsi)
-more significant if other person is influential to the individual
-family, friends.
-if friends frown upon smoking higher chance individual will not smoke same if they approve smoking.
Perceived behavioural control(locus of control):
-belief of how much control individual has over their own actions
-high locus of control means the stronger their intention will be to do behaviour
-e.g. high locus of control means a lower chance of smoking if your belive you have control over your own actions of not smoking.