Impulse Control Disorder

Question 1

Measuring ICD

Answer 1

K - SAS
11 item self report scale
0-4
thoughts feelings actions over the past week
31-42 severe ICD
21-31 moderate ICD
11-21 mild ICD

'’how many times did you experience the urges to steal’’

Question 2

Biological Explanation

Answer 2

EARLY DOPAMINE RESEARCH

operant conditioning with rats
lever which gave stimulus
pressed 2000 times per hour

ANTICIPATION
animals experience high levels of dopamine activity BEFORE they are about to perform previously rewarded behaviours

REWARD DEFICIENCY SYNDROME
low levels of dopamine activity in the brain makes them seek out opportunities for a dopamine rush
-carriers of A1 Allele

Question 3

Psychological Explanation

Answer 3

Behavioural Explanation
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT THEORY: a behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated

• adrenaline rush

-when reinforcement only occurs sometimes - will repeat activity the most

e.g rats rewarded only sometimes when they pressed the level

Cognitive: MILLER’S FEELING STATE THEORY

• when we are in a certain state, we remember the other times we felt that way and how we felt then
  e.g: pyromaniac stressed and tired - remembers last time they started a fire
• shame after behaviour - triggers the state dependent memory

Question 4

Biological Treatment

Answer 4

GRANT - opiate antagonists

284 participants
diagnosed with pathological gambling
had gambled in the past 2 weeks

• 4 groups: placebo , low medioum high does
  -some nalmefene, some naltrexone

CONCLUSION
only those with family history of alcohol and (less so) urge to gamble - positive response to opiate antagonists

Question 5

Psychological treatment

Answer 5

Covert Sensitisation
GLOVER-

Imaginal Densensitisation