Addiction: Learning Theory Explanation for nicotine addiction

Question 1

The learning theory uses a _______ approach.

Answer 1

Behaviourist

Question 2

For the learning theory explanation of nicotine addiction, it can be explained through _______ and _______ __________.

Answer 2

Classical and operant conditioning.

Question 3

How does positive reinforcement maintains nicotine addiction- mention the neurochemical cause of this:

Answer 3

• If the consequences of a behaviour are positive e.g. feeling pleasure then the behaviour is more likely to occur again.
• This pleasure occurs because of its effects on the dopamine reward system, where dopamine release is stimulated in the nucleus accumbens, producing a feeling of mild euphoria, which the smoker finds pleasurable and positively reinforces their behaviour.

Question 4

How does negative reinforcement maintain nicotine addiction - mention the neurochemical cause of this:

Answer 4

• Absence of nicotine leads to acute withdrawl, with significantly unpleasant symptoms like sleep disturbances, aggression and anxiety.
• These wide-ranging withdrawl symptoms make it hard for the smoker to abstain from nicotine for so long, and so they reduce/stop these effects by smoking again.
• Smoking a cigarette is negatively reinforcing nicotine addiction because it stops unpleasant stimulus

Question 5

The pleasurable effect of smoking is known as the ______ reinforcer.

Answer 5

Primary

Question 6

Why is pleasure gained from smoking a primary reinforcer?

Answer 6

• It is intrinsically rewarding due to its effects on the dopamine reward system- so an individual is more likely to smoke again.
• Any other stimuli that are present at the time become associated with this pleasurable effect
• Tbe other stimuli are secondary reinforcers/cues because they take on the properties of the primary reinforcer and become rewarding.

Question 7

What is the primary reinforcer with a nicotine addiction?

Answer 7

Cigarette (nicotine source)

Question 8

What are the secondary reinforcers/cues with a nicotine addiction?

Answer 8

Other stimuli associated with the cigarette:
- Lighters
- Environment e.g. pub
- Smell of smoke

Question 9

What is cue reactivity?

Answer 9

Cravings and arousal that is triggered when they encounter cues related to the pleasurable effects of smoking (for nicotine addicts specifically)

Question 10

Secondary reinforcer stimuli acts as cues because their presence produces a similar physiological and psychological response to _______ itself.

Answer 10

Nicotine

Question 11

What are the 3 main elements of cue reactivity?

Answer 11

1) Subjective desire/craving for cigarette, which is self-reported
2) Physiological signs of reactivity, including autonomic responses like increased heart rate
3) Objective behavioural indicators such as how many ‘draws’ are taken on a cigarette and how strongly.

Question 12

Name the 4 evaluation points for nicotine addiction via learning theory:

Answer 12

1) Research support (S)
2) Strength for cue reactivity (S)
3) Real-world application (S)
4) Animal research (S/L)

Question 13

Explain research support (S) as an explanation point for nicotine addiction via learning theory:

Answer 13

• Animal studies support the theory
• Levin et al found that rats that were given the opportunities to lick two water spouts, one infused with nicotine, chose to lick the nicotine infused water spout significantly more- with the number of licks increasing substantially each session.
• Suggests the effects of nicotine positively reinforcing self-administration in rats, implying there is a similar mechanism in humans.

Question 14

Explain strength for cue reactivity (S) as an explanation point for nicotine addiction via learning theory:

Answer 14

• Supported by research with humans for the effects of cues.
• Carter and Tiffany conducted a meta-analysis of 41 studies into cue reactivity.
• Addicts and non-addicts were shown images with smoking-related cues (e.g. lighters, ashtray).
• The addicts were found to act more strongly to cues- showing both physiological and psychological arousal.
• Suggests that dependent smokers (addicts) learn secondary associations between smoking-related stimuli and the pleasurable effects of smoking.

Question 15

Explain real world application (S) as an explanation point for nicotine addiction via learning theory:

Answer 15

• There are nicotine treatment programmes based on classical conditioning principles.
• Aversion therapy uses counterconditioning to treat nicotine addiction by associating the pleasant effects of smoking with an aversive stimulus (e.g. painful shock)
• A study done by Smith et al found that when participants shocked themselves after engaging with any smoking-related behaviour , 52% of the patients were no longer smoking- compared to 20% of people that successfully stop smoking without therapy.
• Therefore treatments based on the learning theory can save NHS resources, improve health and save lives.

Question 16

Explain animal research (S/L) as an explanation point for nicotine addiction via learning theory:

Answer 16

• It is reasonable to use non-human animals to study addiction in humans.
• The conditioning mechanisms involved in nicotine addiction are the same in humans and mammals.
• However animal-human comparisons are flawed as human mechanisms involved in nicotine addiction are more complex.
• E.g. cognitive factors influence learning processes in human addiction, meaning that humans think about reinforcers in a different way than other mammals do e.g. rats.