Addiction Flashcards
What can addiction be defined as?
- progression from normal to excessive engagement in practices people enjoy/feel compelled to do
- often with harmful results
- a social construct
What does the abnormal part of addiction vary within
- social groupings
- geographical location
- time in history
What are the main psychological mechanisms in drug dependence?
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
- automatic behaviours
- positive reinforcement
- negative reinforcement
What is classical conditioning?
- a neutral stimulus elicits a response if its associated with an unconditioned (biological) stimulus
- forms an association between 2 stimuli
- works when primary reinforcement is consistent
- cues trigger craving
What is operant conditioning?
- forms an association between a behaviour and its consequence
- strength of behaviour modified by punishment/reward
- drug feeling rewarding to an individual
What are automatic behaviours?
- behaviour leading to reward
- dopamine release in core of nucleus accumbens
- ‘if in same sitatuon I would do it again’
What is positive reinforcement?
- behaviour leading to pleasurable sensations are likely to get repeated
In drug taking what are positive reinforcements?
- pleasurable sensations
- satisfaction of biological needs (cocaine and nicotine reduce hunger)
- social reinforcement (group membership)
What is negative reinforcement?
- behaviour that stops/avoids negative sensations fast so likely to be repeated
In drug taking what are negative reinforcements?
- reduction of habitual stress levels
- reduction of acute distress
- reduction of withdrawal symptoms
Why does withdrawal discomfort normally occur?
Due to neuroadaptation during drug use
- when not used, creates a negative reinforcement for using the drug
Why are classical conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement different?
Do not require insight/conscious decision
- behaviour simply triggered by craving bypassing most of cognition
What does individual sensitivity to positive drug effects depend on?
- biological and genetic factors
- expectancies
- high stress levels
- absence of other sources of pleasure/gratification
What does individual sensitivity to negative drug effects depend on?
- biological sensitivity to drug after effects
- intensity to withdrawal discomfort
- reactions to withdrawal discomfort
What are the effects of addiction of personality and mental health?
- sensation seeking/impulsivity
- social deviance (being able to cope with peer pressure)
- anxiety/depression
- ability to cope withdrawal discomfort
