Addiction- Social psychological explanations Flashcards
What are the 2 social psychological explanations?
1- Peer influence
2- The role of the media
What is my SECOND choice social psychological explanation?
The role of the media
What are the different sections of The role of the media?
1- Social learning theory
2- Mediational processes
3- Apply to addictive behaviour
4- Research support
What is social learning theory?
Bandura
- learn behaviour not just through our own expressions but through the observation of role models
- SL is through observation, imitation and modelling of another person(RM)
- expanded SLT to explain different human behaviour
- considers thoughts and mental processes, cognitive aspects
- important mediational processes that take place after they observe but before they imitate the behaviour
- different factors effect whether behaviour will be imitated
- observe, think, imitate
When do mediational processes still occur?
After they observe but before they imitate the behaviour
What 3 factors make imitation more likely?
1- Features of the role model
2- Identification
3- Vicarious reinforcement
How do the features of a role model make imitation more likely?
Popularity, strong, high status
Seen as desirable in some way
How does identification make imitation more likely?
Having similarities with the RM
- similarities
- age, gender, ethnicity, appearance
How does vicarious reinforcement make imitation more likely?
See the rewarding consequences of another persons behaviour
What are the 5 mediational processes?
1- Attention
2- Retention
3- Reproduction
4- Motivation
Attention
Seeing role model engage in behaviour and paying attention to it
- see the main character in a film winning lots of money gambling
Retention
The observed behaviour needs to be remembered including various aspects/skills involved
- retain the knowledge of the gamblers actions
Reproduction
Must be able to repeat the behaviour they have observed, physical ability to imitate it, practise and equipment necessary
- in a pub/casino with friends you bet lots of money hoping to be successful
Motivation
Must be motivated to repeat the behaviour through vicarious reinforcement
- you want to be wealthy and buys expensive things etc
- the actor has friends, money is very popular
Research support for the role of the media description
Hanewinkel
Studied teens form a range of European cultures who reported they had never had alcohol and never intended to do so
Follow up 12 months later
- 40% had tried alcohol
- 9% engaged in binge drinking
Exposure to alcohol occurrences in films was associated with an increased risk of drinking alcohol
Evaluation: The role of the media
- Research support
Hanewinkel7- teens from a range of European cultures who had never drank and had no intention of doing so
12 months follow up
- 40% had tried alcohol
- 9% had engaged in binge drinking
- shows the impact of the media and how alcohol in films is associated with increasing alcohol usages
Evaluation: The role of the media
X hard to establish a causal link
X correlational research
X 3rd variable confounding relationship- family, friends, social attitudes
- in fluence the types of media they view and whether they choose to use addictive substances
PECHMAN AND SHIH
- used experimental method, people who had seen smoking version of clip had positive attitudes and intentions to smoke
EM- supports for C&E between the role of the media and addiction
X more R needs to be conducted to establish if it relied=s on too much correlational evidence it lacks credibility
Evaluation: The role of the media
- Positive effect of the media/smoke free movies project
- contribute to the reduction of addictive behaviours
- media also reports the negative consequences of addiction- Amy Whinehouse
X PECHMAN N SHIH
x any effects of showing smoking in the film were cancelled out by showing an anti-smoking advert before hand
SFMP - encourage filmmakers to reduce smoking shown in films as they express their concern for young people
- the media acts as vicarious reinforcement, discouraging people from engaging in those behaviours
What is my FIRST choice for social psychological explanations?
Peer influences
How can we section peer infleunces?
1- Perceived social norms
2- Teenage brain differences
3- Vicarious reinforcement
What are perceived social norms?
They are the rules of a social groups that the members of that group adhere to
- social norms differ from group to group, with peer groups having their own individual set of rules, this can alter our perceptions
How can perceived social norms alter our perceptions?
If a person thinks that everyone around them is engaging in risky behaviour, they may also engage in that behaviour as it is seen as normal
What 2 types of norms are there according to Bosari and Carey?
1- Descriptive norms
2- Injunctive norms
What are descriptive norms?
An individuals perception of how much others engage in behaviours such as drinking or smoking
- the norm of ‘everyone is doing this’
What are injunctive norms?
What an individual perceives as others approval of this behaviour
- the norm of ‘I should be doing this’
If people hold these sorts of false views about their peer group, how are they likely to view their addictive behaviour?
As normal and will see no need to change it
What did Perkins and Berkowitz do and find?
A high number of students that they interviewed believed that being drunk was only acceptable in certain situations
- their peers believed it was acceptable in their social group
- led to them drinking more than they normally would
The individual acts in the way they think the group are acting
- see no need to reduce their consumption as they thin that everyone is doing it more than them anyway
Teenage brain differences
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
Study found that teens are more likely to act out risky behaviours if they know their friends are watching
- include speeding and running traffic lights
During the study teens weren’t encouraged buy friends to perform risky behaviours but did so anyway
Teenage brain differences
What did FMRI scans show in NIDA’s study?
Showed that the friends presence heightened activity in certain areas of the brain that are responsible for predicting and determining the value of reward
- resulting social effect of this process was that the teens made risky decisions
What did simply knowing their friends were watching do?
Stimulated regions linked with reward, so they went ahead and took risks
What is meant by vicarious reinforcement?
Imitate the behaviour of their peer role models because they may see them being rewarded for addictive behaviour
e.g. smoking or drinking leading to the admiration of others
How does VR link to the influence of peers on addiction?
They do not need to be directly reinforced through operant or classical conditioning, VR is enough to create an addiction
- especially in todays society where people are exposed to their peers more than ever through social media
What is indirect peer pressure?
A subtle form, hard to detect
- relatively easier to resist than direct peer pressure
When does indirect peer pressure occur?
When individuals try to do something they aren’t comfortable with just to fit in or feel part of the group
- no explicit coercion from another party, but the individual feels they will be alienated if they don’t follow the norm
Evaluation: Peer influence
- Research support
US National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 90% of smokers started smoking as adolescents observing and imitating peers
- suggests the decision to start smoking is partly due to social learning factors
Evaluation: Peer influence
X issues with peer influence
X may form addiction independently from peer group
X gaming addiction, solitary, hard to argue role of peer influence in its development
x addicts go to great lengths to conceal addiction
x for these people, peer groups are unlikely to have played a part
NOT all people who socialise with substance uses develop an addiction
- must question what causes immunity/succumb
Evaluation: Peer influence
X Peer influence vs Peer selection
PI- peers influence individual engage in AB
PS- individuals choose friends because they also engage
- underestimated, both likely to interact with each other
ENNET AND BAUMAN
- Ps who were non-smokers at the start of the study and who had smoking friends were more likely to at follow up (PI)
- evidence they had changed membership in line (PS)
Both PI & PS are important processes in addictive behaviour
