Psychological Models of Addiction Flashcards
what is the biological/medical model?
proposed model for addiction
- genetic and psychological processes in determining addiction
- tries to identify biological conditions which contribute to addiction
evidence which supports the medical model?
addiction is 50% heritable
physiological processes influence vulnerability and behaviour
discrete neural circuits involved in different stages of addiction
- binge-intoxication = VTA, ventral striatum
- withdrawal = amygdala
preoccupation/anticipation = cortex, hippocampus, insula, cingulate hyrus
limitations of the medical model?
medical treatment can reduce harm but not promote abstinence
treatments dont exist for many addictive behaviours, but people still recover
behavioural addictions not discussed
describe the behavioural models for addiction
we learn through interactions with internal and external world and our actions influenced by associations we make between our behaviour and the environment/consequences of it
therefore engaging in behaviours is underpinned by principles of reinforcement (taking drugs is pleasurable and likely to lead to rewarding consequences leading to continued/repeated use)
what is classical conditioning?
associative learning
process of behaviour modification whereby an individual comes to associate a desired behaviour with a previously unrelated stimuli (dog salivating to sound of bell etc)
clinical example of classical conditioning?
associations with alcohol
- pub
- sunny day
- party
- stress
- money
what is anticipation?
where the body physiologically prepares itself for the effects of the drug (or any addicted substance/behaviour) before it actually occurs when it is expected
operant conditioning?
instrumental learning
learning by connecting the consequences of an action with the preceding behaviour
examples of positive and negative punishment?
positive = adding a stimulus (e.g being shouted at) negative = taking something away (e.g removing something important to the person)
clinical example of operant conditioning?
learning that entering the pub will result in getting a drink
= good time
habit formation?
acquired behaviour pattern regularly followed until it becomes almost involuntary
acquired by learning mechanisms (associative and instrumental learning)
automaticity
cognitive theories in addiction?
addiction recruits and influences cognitive processes
- attention bias (addicts notice things related to their addiction more than other people - e.g alcoholic would notice sound of bottle clinking in bag across road)
- memory bias (frontal cortex recalls previous using as positive?)
leads to involuntary responses increasing chance of relapse
cognitive processing in addiction?
controlled/explicit = slow, effort and conscious automatic/implicit = fast, unintentional, effortless, in parallel
function of addictive behaviour?
increase “feel good” factor and decrease bad stimuli (escape/avoidance)
central premise of the cognitive behavioural model?
in addition to unconscious processes, perception and thought influences emotion and behaviour
e.g “addictive thinking”, changes in addictive behaviour due to changes in motivation, cognition and appraisal
assumption - changing content of cognition and motivation can influence behaviour
