Addiction- Learning theory and cue reactivity explanation for nicotine addiction Flashcards
The learning approach emphasises the role of what
Nurture
How does the learning approach suggest that addictions stem from
The environment
What are the 3 parts of the learning theory explanation
1) Smoking initiation- SLT
2) Smoking maintenance- OC, consequential learning and peer acceptance
3) Smoking maintenance and relapse- cue reactivity
According to the NIDA what % of US smokers started smoking at teens
90
Nicotine addiction could be picked up easily through _________ ________________ and learning from ______ status (peers) and higher status (parent) role models.
Vicarious reinforcement
Equal
If this pattern of behaviour is repeated (seeing mum smoke for example) what will happen
Smoking becomes legitimised as acceptable
We are likely to remember this event and be motivated to repeat the behaviour ourselves - chasing this negative reinforcement (stress reduction).
What does Skinner say about immediate reinforcers
They take precedence over the long term consequences.
How can Skinners bit about immediate reinforcers relate to smoking
Short term benefits of smoking (reduced stress) outwight long term costs of smoking (addiction - health risks etc). 25% of inhaled nicotine reaches the brain in less than 10 seconds.
What did Milton say about young smokers
Identified peer influence as an important factor in smoking, and the rejection from a peer group as key.
Hence, through social modelling and interaction, peer acceptance acts like reinforcement that helps maintain smoking behaviour.
In terms of operant conditioning, what can maintenance of smoking be seen as
Negative reinforcement- it takes away unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
E.g nausea
What does Carter and Tiffany say about the maintenance of a smoking addiction
Smoking addictions are often maintained and relapsed due to triggers or cues in the environment that we have learnt to associate with smoking addiction.
What will these ‘cues’ elicit
A conditioned response even in the absence of the actual smoking behaviour.
Evaluation, practical applications
P- This theory has led to useful practical applications to help treat those who suffer from smoking addiction.
E- Cue exposure therapy involves presenting the cue (e.g., lighter or alcohol) to the individual and helping them control their reaction to it (i.e., to develop coping strategies).
E- In this way, the response of ‘smoking’ in the presence of alcohol, lighters and/or their peers fades away or extinguishes. This is thought to be more effective than simply trying to avoid the cues, for example never drinking.
L- This implies, that the learning theory of smoking addiction and ideas around cue reactivity can help the 14% of the UK population to quit smoking for good.
Evaluation, individual differences
P- However, a weakness of the explanation is that the theory neglects to consider individual differences.
E- Robinson & Berridge (1993) argue that many people try smoking yet do not become addicted despite the rewarding experiences on offer.
E- This suggests other factors must also be at work, that allow some yet not others to become full blown smoking addicts.
For example… what other factors could cause nicotine addictions?
L- This implies that a more holistic approach may be needed to fully explain nicotine addiction.
Evaluation, environmental determinism
P- The approach takes an environmental deterministic approach to explaining smoking, that although creates general laws, creates a dilemma for psychologists.
E- The approach suggests that if your environment and role models are addicted to smoking it’s inevitable that you will face the same fate. This does not consider the role of personal autonomy and suggests we are ‘mere puppets of circumstance’.
L- In contrast, society at large promotes personal responsibility. This is a theoretical problem for the learning explanation of nicotine addiction.
Evaluation, nature and nurture
P- The explanation is consistent with neurological findings that drugs have rewarding properties, and how nature and nurture may both contribute to drug abuse.
E- This theory is compatible with the neural explanation of nicotine as well as it focuses on the idea of nicotine being positively reinforced in the form of peer approval (learning theory) and in the form Dopamine activation (neural explanation). This would imply to remove this addiction you should tackle both the biochemical action (e.g., through NRT), and the environmental features (e.g., through desensitising individuals to cues that may activate smoking).
L- This means that OC provides a more comprehensive account of substance misuse than other theories focusing purely on Nature OR nurture alone.
Evaluation, evdidence
- Harakeh et al
P- There is experimental support that illustrates the role of vicarious reinforcement in smoking behaviour.
E- HARAKEH et al (2007) investigated the role of peers and siblings in smoking behaviour with 428 families with two adolescent kids through surveys. Results showed Non-smoking adolescents with older siblings that smoked and those with a smoking best friend were more likely to have started smoking 1 year later, showing how vicarious learning from friends and older siblings influence the initiation of smoking addiction.
L- This illustrates that vicarious reinforcement plays apart in smoking addiction, making the theory more credible.
