Alcohol Abuse 7

Question 1

Farber et al (1980) Factor 2 negative reinforcement

Answer 1

I need a drink to help me relax; I drink to relieve tension and stress; drinking helps me forget some of my problems; a drink cheers me up when I am in a bad mood; I like to have a drink to help me unwind after work

Question 2

Farber et al (1980) Results

Answer 2

high negative and high positive = 52%; high negative low positive = 41%; low negative high positive = 7%; low negative and low positive = 0%

Question 3

How many people gave negative reinforcement reasons

Answer 3

93% (or 124 out of the 133 alcoholics) drank for negative reinforcement reasons indicating they used alcohol for inappropriate stress management reasons (and therefore need appropriate skills training needs to be part of any therapy)

Question 4

Implications for prevention of relapse

Answer 4

engage participants in stress management and skill development in marital, family and work environments

Question 5

Vicarious (social learning) conditioning

Answer 5

alcoholics learn abusive drinking patterns or fail to learn social (drinking) patterns from parents or society

Question 6

Goodwin et al. (1973)

Answer 6

see diagram

Question 7

Vicarious (social learning) conditioning families

Answer 7

highest rate of alcoholic off-spring - alcoholic families (modelling) or totally abstinent families (failure to learn - no models); Highest rate of moderate drinkers - moderate drinkers model or teach off-spring appropriate drinking patterns (recommendation)

Question 8

What went wrong with this recommendation

Answer 8

parents abdicated responsibility/control; young people placed in high-risk (binge drinking) settings

Question 9

Watson & Fleming (1988)

Answer 9

cross culturally, highest incidence of alcohol abuse in high consumers and traditionally abstinent

Question 10

Indigenous Australians and alcohol

Answer 10

different response to alcohol; more abuse alcohol; learn via modelling or fail to learn how to moderately use a social drug

Question 11

Watson & Fleming (1988) diagram

Answer 11

see diagram

Question 12

Natural history of alcohol abuse across lifespan

Answer 12

biggest at 18-20, drops slightly at 21-24, then decreases as you age (spontaneous remission?)

Question 13

Genotype-environment interaction

Answer 13

non alcoholics = low genetic loading/low environment sensitivity; alpha and beta alcoholics = moderate genetic loading/high environment sensitivity; gamma alcoholics = high genetic loading/low environmental sensitivity

Question 14

Alpha alcoholics

Answer 14

purely psychological dependence on alcohol; have poor frustration tolerance or inability to cope with tensions; use alcohol to boost morale, block out reality, increase self confidence or relief

Question 15

Beta alcoholics

Answer 15

characterised by social dependence on alcohol without either psychological or physical dependence