Research in addiction

Question 1

Personality?

Answer 1

Eysenck suggested that high levels of neuroticism can lead to an addictive personality
Cloninger proposed the tri-dimensional theory
Coa and Su looked at personality variables and internet usage
Verhual looked at the concordance between personality and addiction
Teeson points out that personality research is largely correlational
Barnes et al ( 2000) demonstrated that there is a relationship between personality characteristics and addictive behaviours

Question 2

Stress?

Answer 2

Cappell and Greeley’s tension reduction hypothesis
Gelkopf proposed the self medication model
Driessen found that 30% of drug addicts and 15% of alcoholics also suffered from PTSD
For example, Piazza (1989) found a link between stress and addiction in rats.
Schneier found correlation between alcohol dependence and social phobias
Kobosa looked at having hardniness as a personality trait
Tavolacci et al (2013) argued students who found university stressful may develop addictive disorders.

Question 3

Peer groups?

Answer 3

Tajfel created social identity theory
Sussman and Ames found that peers taking drugs was a good predictor

Question 4

Genetic influences?

Answer 4

Comings found that gamblers inherit a faulty A1 DRD2 gene
Blum came up with the award deficiency syndrome
Shields looked at twin studies

Question 5

Family influences?

Answer 5

Fletcher looked at authoritarian parents
Goddard found that if parents make children are mare likely to
Murray looked at at the affect of parents who were anti-smokers
Shields did twin studies
Hinde looked at individual differences