Addiction Flashcards
Characteristics of Addictive Behaviour [ 10 marks ]
> Addiction is described by the BPS as a “psychological and/or physiological dependency on a particular substance/event”
> Griffiths identified 6 criteria in diagnosing addiction: Salience is the first stage, where the activity becomes the most important thing in their life and it consumes their daily thoughts e.g. someone with a gambling addiction may say they were thinking of buying gas to obtain more money to gamble
> Gambling = behavioural addiction ( individual not addicted to a substance, but the behaviour/feeling brought about by the action )
e.g. eating disorders, shopping addictions, porn addictions- these can bring about feelings of shame/guilt but being unable to stop and feeling out of control
Underlying mental health conditions e.g. OCD can cause behavioural addictions
> Substance addictions, substance use disorders (SUDs)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, (DSM-5) which psychologists use to diagnose addictions, recognise SUDs from the 10 separate classes of drugs. For example, alcohol, caffeine, hallucinogens
Describe biological explanations of addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Genetics & Dopamine )
• Dopamine
> It has been suggested that addictive behaviours and substances trigger the release of dopamine in the VTA
> This leads to a sense of pleasure in the NAc
> This has lead to the reward pathway (part of the mesolimbic pathway) to respond to more harmful actions
> It has therefore become maladaptive
> For example, research has shown that alcohol increases dopamine levels in the brain
• Genetics
> Many studies have indicated a role for the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) in association with addiction
> Individuals with the A1 variant of this gene have fewer dopamine receptors, meaning there are less receptor sites for dopamine to bind to
> This results in a lower sense of pleasure
> Individuals with the A1 variant may try and overcompensate for this by engaging with addictive behaviour
> For example, a study found that 48% of smokers carried the A1 variant compared to 25% of the general population
Evaluate biological explanations of addictive behaviours [10 marks]
( Dopamine & Genetics )
STRENGTH: Dopamine: Social Implication
> May reduce social stigma of addiction if we treat it as an illness -> encourages to get help -> benefit wider society (less antisocial behaviour)
WEAKNESS: Genetics: Link to mental illness
> Addiction often comorbid with MH
> 84% antisocial behaviour disorder & form of substance abuse
> Mental illness inherited & addiction is product of mental illness?
> Can’t establish cause&effect
STRENGTH: Genetics: Deterministic
> Lots of research into biological factors
and causes = treatments
> “Disease model” -> illness -> reduce social stigma
> Less accountability? Feel hopeless?
Describe individual differences explanations of addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Cognitive bias & Eysenck )
Cognitive bias
> Addition = illogical (clear negative outcomes) maybe because problems with way addicts think about behaviour
> Cognitive errors & biases? They think they’re being rational?
> Heuristics ( guide decision making based on limited info ) -> cognitive biases
> Representative heuristics= probability judgements
> Links to addiction through gamblers fallacy
Eysenck
> Seek out addiction as a way of meeting a need driven by personality
> High in Psychoticism & Neuroticism
> Psychoticism = impulsivity (ignore consequences of addictive behaviour)
> Neuroticism = anxiety, stress-> self medicating
Evaluate individual differences explanations of addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Cognitive bias & Eysenck )
BOTH: STRENGTH: Supporting Research
> Regular gamblers showed more irrational verbalisations (14%) than non regular gamblers (2.5%) which is evidence of heuristics and biases
> However: researcher bias as Griffiths conducted
> High in neuroticism: anxious & moody may self medicate -> stress plays role with initiation & relapse
> However. EPQ = self-report -> social desirability bias ( flawed )
BOTH: WEAKNESS: Cause & effect
> could be addiction that leads to faulty thinking or addiction that causes changes in personality
> correlational research
BOTH: WEAKNESS: Deterministic
Describe social psychological explanations of addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Role of the media & peer influence )
ROM: Social Learning Theory
> Learning through observation, imitation and modelling of another person (role model)
> More likely to be a role model = desirable e.g. popular, strong which makes imitation more likely
> 4 Mediational Processes: Attention, Retention, Reproduction and Motivation
> Can be applied to addictive behaviours e.g. attention could entail watching a film where the main character is smoking
PI: Perceived social norms (definition)
> Everyone around them doing it = normal
> 2 types of social norms: Descriptive & injunctive
> Descriptive= how much everyone engages “everyone is doing it”
> Injunctive= others approval of the behaviour “I should be doing it”
> Teens more likely to act out on risky behaviour if their friends are watching
Evaluate social psychological explanations of addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Role of the media & peer influence )
ROM: STRENGTH: Positive effects
> Contribute to reduction of addictive behaviours
> Negative repercussions shown in media..
> Research: effects of showing smoking in film cancelled out by anti-smoking ad beforehand
> Strength= vicarious punishment
PI: WEAKNESS: Not the only factor
> Some addictions outlast the peer groups that first influenced them
> Another explanation needed to explain maintenance
BOTH: WEAKNESS: Cause and effect
> Correlational research
> Can determine association between exposure and outcomes
> Cannot predict causation
> Vulnerable to confounding variables.. could be another 3rd factor causing relationship between both variables e.g. childhood trauma
Describe agonist and antagonist substitution as a method of modifying addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
> Common treatment for addiction= medication, typically given to people with substance use addiction
Agonist/antagonist substitution and work at the synapse to alter behaviour
Act on specific biological processes to either mimic or block effects of substances on the brain
> METHADONE: Opioid addiction
Opioids = excess of dopamine
Dopamine receptors less sensitive & neurones adapt to the high levels of dopamine by producing less of it
User becomes addicted
Methadone= AGONIST synthetic replacement, mimics the effect without the “high” -> no extreme highs&lows associated with opioid use
Once withdrawal symptoms = stabilised -> gradually lower dosage until able to stop taking it completely
> NALTREXONE: Opioid addiction relapse prevention
Addicts in recovery that have maybe previously been through a methadone programme & aren’t feeling withdrawal symptoms
Blocks receptor sites (ANTAGONIST) = dopamine cannot bind = no “high” because no cellular activity
Can treat gambling & alcohol addiction
Describe aversion therapy as a method of modifying addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
> Principle of classical conditioning ( associate thing addicted to with unpleasant stimulus )
Overtime, thing previously addicted to will now illicit an unpleasant response rather than the pleasant response
This should, in theory, stop the addiction
> ALCOHOL ADDICTION: ANTABUSE: Aversive (unconditioned) stimulus as it affects how the body normally metabolises alcohol
Normally: Alcohol->Acetaldhyde then further broken down by Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
Antabuse stops enzyme from working
Build up of acetaldehyde ( sweating, headaches, vomiting )
RAPID SMOKING
> No additional medication required
> Smoking addict taking puff of cigarette every 6 secs until feel sick
> Leads to avoidance
Evaluate methods of modifying addictive behaviours [ 10 marks ]
( Substitution & Aversion therapy )
AVERSION THERAPY: STRENGTH: Effectiveness
> More than 1 supporting study = external validity
> Antabuse to placebo, greater abstinence .. Self report.. SDB.. Ethics of placebo
BOTH: STRENGTH: Social Implications
AveTher= Smoking & drinking cost the UK lots of money, treatment to reduce = prevent a lot of harm caused&save money
Subst= Drug addiction= higher crime
->longer NHS waiting time, less people in work->higher tax collected->higher benefit claims, higher deprivation
BOTH: WEAKNESS: Ethics: Side effects
AveTher= ANTABUSE = drowsiness, tiredness, headaches -> May stop taking the drug and relapse RAPID SMOKING= long term health problems..
Subst= METHADONE= significant sedation, very addictive, apathy
NALTREXONE= person still opioid dependent while taking -> withdrawal
