learning theories expl nicotine addiction

Question 1

weakness:limited explanation for nicotine addiction.

Answer 1

E – A consistent research finding is that no more than half the people who experiment with smoking in adolescence develop an addiction.
E – This finding is difficult to account for using learning theory alone, as, in theory, everyone who starts smoking should continue to do so due to the positive reinforcement they experience from the reward of smoking. It seems likely that other factors, such as biological factors, may be relevant to explaining these individual differences.
L – Therefore, this suggests a complete explanation for nicotine addiction cannot operate at just a single level of explanation,

Question 2

limitation:best explained through environmental reductionism.

Answer 2

E - For example, when a nicotine addict experiences cue reactivity and responds by using nicotine, the S-R connection between exposure to the cue and the response of nicotine use is strengthened through both positive reinforcement (the pleasure of nicotine use) and negative reinforcement (relief from unpleasant cravings).
E - This is a form of environmental reductionism, as the explanation of smoking is being reduced to a basic set of S-R connections, which, for an environmental reductionist, are the most fundamental constituent parts of behaviour