Lecture 25 - Conditioning in Drug Use

Question 1

Why do we take drugs, conditioned incentives?

Answer 1

Drug -> good outcome (reinforcement)

OR

Drug -> bad outcome (positive punishment)

Question 2

Needle freak phenomenon

Answer 2

Just shooting up with saline leads to a high because of the process of shooting up.

Question 3

Motivation for drug taking: want vs. like?

Answer 3

Drug addicts report wanting the drug even after ceasing to like it. This suggests we have 2 independent brain systems for positive motivation.

Question 4

Motivation for drug taking: WANTING SYSTEM

Answer 4

(incentive motivation system)

Causes us to approach cues associated with desirable substance, engage in actions to get this substance. It is normally engaged by biological importance (water, sex).

Question 5

Motivation for drug taking: LIKING SYSTEM

Answer 5

(part of the hedonic system)

Controlled by negative feedbacks such as satiety etc., and activates the wanting system (we want things we like)

Question 6

Tolerance

Answer 6

An internal decreased response sensitivity

Question 7

Opponent Process Model

Answer 7

Drugs have a large effect on the Central Nervous System that cause physiological changes (these changes are the A-process).

Attempting to maintain or regain homeostasis after drug taking causes the body to initiate drug compensatory responses (these responses are the B-process)