Addiction - Explanations For Nicotine Addiction (Learning theory)

Question 1

How can positive reinforcement explain nicotine addiction?

Answer 1

If the consequence of a behaviour is rewarding (nicotine has powerful effects on dopamine causing euphoric feelings) it is more likely to occur again

Question 2

Who suggested positive reinforcement can explain the early stages of smoking addiction?

Answer 2

Koob & Le Moal

Question 3

How can dependence on nicotine be explained by negative reinforcement?

Answer 3

Stopping nic use leads to acute withdrawal (unpleasant side effects) -> make it hard for the smoker to quit so they reduce negative effects by smoking again (negatively reinforcing behaviour)

Question 4

What is cue reactivity?

Answer 4

Cues that relates to the pleasurable effects of the activity & produces the same psychological & physiological response to nic itself e.g. social situations where the individual has smoked before (nic addicts)

Question 5

What is the primary reinforcer in nicotine addiction & why is it?

Answer 5

The pleasurable effect of smoking -> it is rewarding & not learned (effects dopamine)

Question 6

What is the secondary reinforcer in nicotine addiction & why is it?

Answer 6

Situations/anything that gets associated with smoking cigs (take on the properties of the primary reinforcer & become rewarding in their own right)

E.g. smoking with freinds/at pub/smell of tobacco/fav lighter (over time they are associated with the pleasurable effects of smoking

Question 7

What does the subjective desire/craving for a cig, the physiological signs of reactivity (e.g. increased heart rate) & objective behavioural indicators e.g. number of draws on a cig relate to?

Answer 7

Cue reactivity

Question 8

EVALUATION: What research from Levin et al supports the learning theory explanation of nicotine addiction?

Answer 8

Rats licked 2 water spouts, one had nicotine & the other didnt
The rats licked the nicotine-linked waterspout significantly more often & the amount of licks increased substantially over 24 sessions (suggests the effects of nicotine positively reinforce self-administration in rats implying its similar in humans)

Question 9

EVALUATION: What was the research by Carter & Tiffany that supports the idea of cue reactivity?

Answer 9

Conducted meta-analysis (41 studies) -> studies presented dependent & non dependent smokers & non-smokers with images of smoking
Self-reported desire was measured along with indicators of physiological arousal e.g. high heart rate
Dependent smokers reacted most strongly to cues (showed increased physiological arousal & reported strong cravings to smoke even when nic not present (shows dependent smokers learn secondary associations between smoking-related stimuli & pleasurable effects of smoking)

Question 10

EVALUATION: How is the real-world application of the learning theory of nicotine addiction a strength?

Answer 10

Aversion therapy uses counterconditioning to associate pleasurable effects of smoking with aversive stimulus e.g. electric shock (Smith -> participants shocked themselves when they engaged in smoking related behaviour, after 1 year 52% still abstaining) (shows treatments based on learning theory can save NHS resources, improve health & save lives)

Question 11

EVALUATION: What is one strength and one limitation of using animal research to study nicotine addiction?

Answer 11

Strength -> conditioning mechanisms involved in nic addiction are the same in animals as humans
Limitation -> nic addiction in humans is more complex (cognitive factors) & ethics