Addiction

Question 1

Define Addiction.

Answer 1

a disorder where an individual takes a substance or engaged in a behaviour that is pleasurable but eventually becomes harmful with consequences.

Question 2

Define Physical dependence

Answer 2

a state of the body due to habitual substance abuse which results in withdrawal syndrome when usage stops.

Question 3

Define Psychological dependence.

Answer 3

A compulsion to continue taking a substance because its use is rewarding .

Question 4

Define Tolerance

Answer 4

A reduction in response to a substance , an addicted individual need more to get the same effect.

Question 5

List the two types of tolerance.

Answer 5

• Metabolic tolerance: When enzymes responsible for metabolising a drug do it more efficiently over time, result in lower concentration of drug in the body greater amounts of it are therefore needed.
  -Learned tolerance:Individual learns to function normally under the influence of the drug, so more of it is needed for them.

Question 6

Define Risk factors.

Answer 6

Any internal or external influence that increase the likelihood a person starts using addictive substances .

Question 7

Define withdrawal symptoms.

Answer 7

A set of symptoms that develop when an addicted person abstains from or reduces substance abuse.

Question 8

What are 3 key characteristics of Addiction?

Answer 8

-Dependence
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal symptoms

Question 9

How is physical dependence defined in terms of withdrawal?

Answer 9

Its only possible to ascertain if someone is psychically dependent on a substance when they abstain from it . Occurs when a withdrawal symptom is produced.

Question 10

What is a consequence of psychological dependence ?

Answer 10

Is that the person will keep taking substances until it becomes a habit, despite harmful consequences.

Question 11

Name the types tolerance

Answer 11

Behavioural tolerance
Cross tolerance

Question 12

Explain Behavioural tolerance.

Answer 12

occurs when an individual learns through experience to adjust their behaviour to compensate for the effect of a substance.

Question 13

Explain toleranace

Answer 13

when developing a tolerance to one type of substance causes reduction in sensitivity to another substance.

Question 14

Name the different risk factors.

Answer 14

1- Genetic vulnerability
2- Stress
3- Personality
4-Family influence
5-Peers

Question 15

Explain genetic vulnerability as a risk factor.

Answer 15

-People DON’T inherit an addiction, however are predisposed/ venerable to dependence.
- Genes may determine the activity of neurotransmitter systems e.g. dopamine in the brain (affects behaviour e.g. impulsivity that predispose a person to dependence)

Question 16

Explain stress as a risk factor in addiction.

Answer 16

-People who experience stress may turn to drugs a form of self medication. Stress refers to present and past events such as childhood trauma.
- Gelkopf (2002) that some people intentionally use different forms of addictive behaviour as a way to treat the symptoms of stress

Question 17

Explain Personality as a risk factor.

Answer 17

-individual personality traits such as hostility and neuroticism may increase the risk of addiction.

Question 18

Explain Family influence as a risk factor.

Answer 18

Living in a family which uses addictive substances and/or has positive attitude about addictions increase a persons likelihood of becoming addicted.

Question 19

Explain Peers as a risk factor.

Answer 19

As a child gets older, peer relationships become the most important risk factor for addiction, outstripping family influence. Even when an adolescences peers have not used drugs themselves, their attitude towards drugs may be influential.

Question 20

What are the two phases to withdrawal.

Answer 20

The acute withdrawal
the prolonged withdrawal

Question 21

Explain the acute withdrawal phase.

Answer 21

Begins within hours of abstaining and features intense cravings for substance, reflecting strong physiological and psychological dependence. Symptoms gradually reduce over days.

Question 22

Explain the Prolonged withdrawal phase.

Answer 22

Symptoms last for weeks, months and even years. The person becomes highly sensitive to the cues they associate with the substance (location, rituals etc). This is one reason why relapse is common.

Question 23

In relation to addiction, what is meant by ‘Tolerance’ and ‘Withdrawal’ (4 marks)

Answer 23

• Occurs when an individuals response to a given amount of substance is reduced. means they need a greater doses to produce same effect. Tolerance is caused by repeated exposure to a substance.
• Behavioural tolerance occurs when an individual learns through experience to adjust their behaviour to compensate for the effects of a substance.
  -Withdrawal syndrome = a collection of symptoms associated with withdrawing from a substance.
• Symptoms are almost always opposite to ones created by the substance. Can be acute or prolonged.

Question 24

Explain the difference between psychological and physical dependence. ( 4 marks )

Answer 24

Physical dependence = its only possible to ascertain if someone is psychically dependent on a substance when abstaining from it.
- Occurs when a withdrawal symptom is produced.
Psychological dependence= the compulsion to experience the effect of substance through increased pleasure or lessening of discomfort. Taking the substance is reliably followed by reward.
- Consequence is a person will take the substance until it becomes a habit, despite harmful consequences.

Question 25

Explain one strength of genetic vulnerability as a risk of addiction?

Answer 25

-Support from adoption studies.
- Kendler et al used data from national Swedish adoption study.
-Looked at adults who were adopted as children from bio families where at least one parent had an addiction.
-The children later had significantly greater risk of developing addictions compared to children with bio parents who were no addicts.
-This supports the role of genetic vulnerability as an important risk factor.

Question 26

What is a drawback of stress as a risk factor of addiction.

Answer 26

-Many studies have shown there is a strong positive correlation between stressful experiences and addiction.
-However does not mean that stress is a risk factor.
-What matters is the order in which the stress and addiction occur.
-some people may become addicted even though they haven’t experienced significant life stress because of the negative effect of the lifestyle.
- This produces a produces a positive correlation but in this case, addicted caused the stress rather than vice versa.
Therefore we cannot conclude that stress is significant factor based on correlational studies alone.

Question 27

Explain one strength of personality as a risk factor for addiction and antisocial personality disorder.

Answer 27

-Several studies show that APD and alcohol dependence are co-morbid (i.e Frequently occur together). Miriam Bahlmann interviewed 55 alcohol dependent people of which were 18 were also diagnosed with APD.
- For those 18 participants, the researchers found that APD developed four years before their alcohol dependency, on average.
-This findings suggests that APD is indeed a personality-related risk factor for alcohol addiction.

Question 28

Summarise the explanation for nicotine addiction.

Answer 28

• when a person smokes, nicotine binds to nicotinic receptors in the ventral tegmental area of the brain.
• This causes dopamine to be released in the nucleus accumbent in the mesolimbic system (Reward centre).
• The activation of the reward pathway reduces anxiety and creates feelings of euphoria.
• Nicotine also stimulates the release of GLUTAMATE which increases and speeds yp the release of dopamine , Thus increasing the reward effect.
• Leads to repeated use and craving.
  -These effects become associated with smoking through classical conditioning .

Question 29

Explain the role of dopamine in addiction.

Answer 29

Nicotine can act as a stimulant , making people feel more alert and improving their cognitive function, as a relaxant making people less irritable.
- effect of the nicotine disappear within minutes , causing a need to continually take in nicotine to get a pleasurable feeling .

Question 30

How does the learning theory explain addiction ?

Answer 30

-These are explanation that explains behaviour in terms of learning rather than any innate tendencies, Physiological or cognitive behaviours.
- An association is made between a pleasurable feelings and performance of the addictive behaviour, increasing then chances that will be preformed again.

Question 31

Define cue reactivity

Answer 31

• Refers to objects and environments associated with a drug or behaviour .
• These become conditioned stimuli and so people experience greater arousal when exposed to the cues associated with their addiction.

Question 32

What does the spec say about Cue reactivity?

Answer 32

Cue reactivity must be explained in terms of classical conditioning.

Question 33

Explain Cue reactivity .

Answer 33

• Its the idea that a person associates specific moods, situations or environmental factor ( smoking related cues)
• with the rewarding effects of nicotine.
• Nicotine is the unconditional stimulus (UCS) and the pleasure caused by the increase in dopamine levels is the unconditioned response (UCR).
• Any stimulus associated with nicotine entering the brain will change from Neutral stimulus (NS) to conditioned stimulus (CS).
• CS eventually become CR.

Question 34

How does the social learning theory explain how smoking starts?

Answer 34

-SLT says as young people observe and imitate role models around them who smoke and vicarious reinforcement leads them to expect enjoyment from smoking.

Question 35

Explain how positive reinforcement can explain nicotine addiction.

Answer 35

• If the consequence to an individual are Likely to occur again. Nicotine is a powerful reinforcer because effects on the dopamine reward system. According to Koob and Le coal positive reinforcement can therefore explain the early stages of smoking addiction.

Question 36

Explain how Negative reinforcement can explain nicotine addiction.

Answer 36

(Avoidance)
- A smoker continuing dependence is better explained by negative reinforcement.
-Cessation of nicotine leads to withdrawal effects including agitation and disturbed sleep as well as cognitive effects such as poor concentration and mood disturbance such as anxiety and depression.
-Such wide ranging withdrawal symptoms make it harder for smokers to abstain.

Question 37

Describe cue reactivity as an explanation for nicotine addiction.

Answer 37

Posible content
- Smoking behaviour is associated with environmental stimuli (exposure to cues)
-Based on the notion of classical conditioning where learning takes place by association between unconditioned stimulus ( cigarette) and neutral stimulus ( environmental cues)
-Cues associated with smoking behaviour becomes the conditioned stimuli trigger craving.
-Smoking continues because of negative reinforcement provided by the removal of craving the rewarding effect .

Question 38

What is the role of learning theory in nicotine addiction

Answer 38

1- Smoking starts through social learning theory and classical conditioning.
2- Smoking continues through operant conditioning
3- Trying to stop- Classical conditioning and cue reactivity.

Question 40

What theory is used to explain how smoking starts?

Answer 40

-Social learning theory, as young people observe and imitate role models who smoke around them.
- Vicarious reinforcement leads them to expect enjoyment for smoking.

Question 41

How can social learning theory be used to explain why people start gambling?

Answer 41

Individual observes role models such as peers, family members gambling and see the exciting consequence of the behaviour, such as winning money.
this vicarious reinforcement leads them to imitate the gambling behaviour in order to get the same reinforcement.

Question 42

What are two sources of direct positive reinforcement?

Answer 42

Winning money
The ‘buzz’ that accompanies gambling because it’s exciting.

Question 43

What does gambling continuing as a result of operant conditioning suggest about behaviour?

Answer 43

-That it is positively reinforced is likely to be repeated.
- Both winning money and the excitement of a potential win acts as positive reinforcement.

Question 44

How can gambling be an escape through negative reinforcement?

Answer 44

-As it offers a distraction from aversive ( strong dislike ) such as the anxieties of everyday life .

Question 45

What is partial reinforcement?

Answer 45

-When a behaviour is not rewarded every time but the rewards come according to a schedule.

Question 46

What are the 4 different schedules of partial reinforcement?

Answer 46

1.Fixed-interval- after regular interval
2.Variable-interval- after varying + unpredictable intervals
3.Fixed ratio- after a set number of attempts
4.Variable ratio- after varying and unpredictable attempts

Question 47

What did skinner say about partial reinforcement ?

Answer 47

Skinner demonstrated that continuous reinforcement which rewards every correct response does not lead to the most persistent behaviour. Once the reward stops the behaviour quickly disappears . extinction.

Question 48

What does a partial reinforcement schedule creates?

Answer 48

a persistent behaviour seen in gambling. if only some bets are rewarded there is an unpredictability as to which will pay off (variable reinforcement)

Question 49

Under a variable reinforcement schedule behaviour is?

Answer 49

rewarded intermittently this produces the most persistent behaviour.