Explanations For Nicotine Addiction Flashcards
Brain neurochemistry
Nicotine inhaled reaches nicotine receptors in less than 10 seconds
Triggers neurons in ventral tegmental area to release dopamine
Travels down reward pathway called mesolimbic pathway
Dopamine stimulates D2 receptors in nucleus accumbus leading to pleasure motivating person to smoke again
Dopamine also travels down second reward pathway called the mesocortical pathway
Dopamine stimulates pre frontal cortex
Makes person pay attention to smoking and everything associated with it so it can be repeated
Repeated smoking 2 cellular changes
Upregulation and downregulation
Upregulation
When a person hadent smoked for a period of time nicotine receptors become sensitive leading withdrawal
Overtime’s increase in number of nicotine receptors more nicotine is needed to feel same effects leading to tolerance
Downregulation
D2 receptors in nucleus accumbes become less sensitive and reduce in numbers
Means don’t feel same buzz from smoking so will need more nicotine to feel same buzz leading to tolerance
Brain neurochemistry explanation Ao3 of nicotine addiction
Uses scientific methods so uses scientific enquiry to investigate nicotine addiction
Based on objective and empirical techniques e.g brain scans , post mortoms and urine samples
To identify nuerochemical factors such as concentration of nurochemical levels e.g dophamine in nicotine
Argued this increases overall internal validity of brain nuerochemical addictions explanation of nicotine addiction
Thus raising psychology’s scientific status
Brain neurochemistry explanation of nicotine addiction Ao3 strength
Practical applications
Because principles that nicotine addiction is caused by dophmaime and increased numbers of nicotine receptors
Lead to treatment of nictoine replacement therapy (NRT)
Provide nicotine in less harmful form (patches) and dosage is reduced overtime
Thus reducing tolerance and dependence as induviduals nictoine receptors return to normal levels
Thus brain neurochemistry is an important part of applied psychology increasing credibility of brain nuerochemical explanation of nicotine addiction
Brain nuerochemistry Ao3
Criticised for biological reductionism
Theory reduces complex human behaviour of nictoine down to simple basic units of dopamine levels within brain
Neglects holistic approach which takes account how persons cultural and social context would influence and explain individuals nictoine addiction
E.g adolescents may develop nictoine addiction due to wanting to fit in with particular peer group rather than feelings of euphoria
May lack validity as it doesn’t allow us to understand the behaviour in context
Risk factor : genetic vunrability
Is an interaction between genes and environmental factors
Induvidual will not become addicted unless they are exposed to the substance or an opportunity
Genetic vunrebility D2
Occurs due to inheriting abnormality in the number of D2 receptors
Having fewer D2 receptors is associated with addictions as this leads to problems with experiencing pleasure from everyday activities e.g chocolate
Thus they may try turn to more addictive substances e.g nicotine
To experience some feeling of pleasure
And compensate for this deficiency leading to addiction due to repeated use of addictive behaviour
Genetic vureblity Ao3
Based on correlational research
Cause and effect cannot be established
Research has shown a link between risk factors e.g genetics and addictions
Often does not show what came first
E.g could be addiction causes abnormalities in D2 receptors
Lacks internal validity does not allow us to conclude that genetics makes someone more vunreble to addiction
