Psychology B3 - non-substance related addiction

Question 1

1. initiation: SLT and classical conditioning

Answer 1

-SLT - people gamble because they observe role models being rewarded (vicarious reinforcement)
-classical conditioning - when someone gambles for first time, enjoy external stimuli (noises) and internal stimuli (excitement)
-become associated with activity of gambling (conditioned stimuli)

Question 2

2. maintenance: positive reinforcement

Answer 2

-positive reinforcement - provides opportunities to win money as well as a ‘buzz’, repeated
-memorable reward = big win when starting gambling, continue gambling
-near misses = provide short bursts of excitement/tension

Question 3

2. maintenance: negative and partial reinforcement

Answer 3

-negative reinforcement - provides escape from reality, gives temporary relief from anxiety, strengthens addiction
-partial reinforcement - only some rewards, i.e fruit machines = programmed to pay out on only some spins, only reinforced sometime

Question 4

2. maintenance: variable reinforcement

Answer 4

-type of partial reinforcement, only certain proportion = rewarded
-leads to persistent gambling behaviour
-unpredictable pattern of reinforcement, cannot be sure that reward will appear

Question 5

3. relapse: cue reactivity

Answer 5

-regular gamblers experience conditioned cues - secondary reinforcer
-gambling, colourful advert, shiny scratch card, bright lights etc.
-cues trigger arousal, associates with gambling
-cues = hard to avoid
-act as low level reminders of pleasure of gambling

Question 6

support for effectiveness
(evaluation)
+

Answer 6

-Dickerson (1979), observed people gambling in two betting offices
-high frequency (HFG) placed bets in last two mins before start of race
-low frequency (LFG) hadn’t placed bet, more likely to do it on next race
-HFGs deliberately delayed bets, prolong rewarding feeling
-positive reinforcement, explain gambling behaviour irl

Question 7

role of variable reinforcement
(evaluation)
+

Answer 7

-research evidence for role of variable reinforcement
-compared HFGs and LFGs in sensitivity to computer games
-pps reinforced every time success (continuous), others partial/ variable
-no rewards provided, HFGs continued to play - reinforcement stopped (Horsley et al. 2012)
-variable reinforcement, influence gamblers

Question 8

alternative explanation
(evaluation)
-

Answer 8

-learning approach cannot explain all gambling
-conditioning doesn’t occur in same way
1. responses to stimuli = differ, some relax, some become aroused
2. some people quit and relapse, some never gamble again
3. many people have a go, aren’t drawn to it
-findings can be explained by irrational thoughts/ cognitive biases –> cognitive