Risk Factors and Addiction- Family Influences Flashcards
What does social learning theory suggest about family influence?
- We model our behaviour on key role models and some of the most critical role models in the home (parents/siblings)
- Suggests we may learn to become addicted to behaviours through vicarious reinforcement and role models
How can families influence addiction?
Families shape our expectations of the world and contribute to our schemas and they may lead their children to believe that some addictions like alcohol and smoking relieve stress and boredom, so we may initiate this type of behaviour for expected rewards
What are the parenting styles that can lead to addiction?
- Uninvolved parenting- lack of focus on the child
- Authoritarian parenting- adamant in enforcing rules and regulations, but do it with a focus on fostering obedience rather than building mutual understanding
- Permissive parenting- Over indulgent, give child too much attention and are too quick to respond to children’s needs. This lack of discipline and self control opens up more opportunity for children to fall into patterns of drug use
If the point is:
A strength of family influences as a risk factor is that there is evidence for the role of social learning theory from families in addictive behaviours.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- Goddard completed longitudinal research to examine factors that may predict young peoples smoking behaviour. The main finding was that, if parents smoke, the kids are far more likely to themselves. In addition, Murray found that, if parents are perceived as very anti smoking, their child was 7 times less likely to smoke.
Link- This evidence implies that parents often lead by example in smoking behaviour and potential addiction.
If the point is:
A weakness of family influences as a risk factor is that its research has a theoretical flaw in that it can be easily explained through genetics.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- For example, Shields conducted an adoption study where he examined the concordance rate between 42 twin pairs that were raised apart. He found that only 9 pairs were actually discordant, suggesting genetic similarity is a major factor in starting to smoke.
Link- This implies that the risk factor of family influence in addiction may be overstated.
If the point is:
A weakness of family influences as a risk factor is that the role of peer influence in addiction is argued to be more critical than parental influence in the teenage years.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- Hindes suggests that, when in childhood below 9 years of age, people describe their best friends as those we spend 1/3rd of our time with. This changes in adulthood to shared philosophies. He went on to say that, between the ages 12-14, peers replace parents as the main source of reinforcement and in young adulthood peers are replaced with partners as a primary reinforcement source.
Link- This suggests that the role of parental influence in addiction is more critical in early formative years.
If the point is:
A strength of family influences as a risk factor is that it has good practical applications.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- For example, if families can be seen as influencing children tendencies towards addictive behaviours, then intervention strategies can focus on this factor and target parents with the aim to emphasise the extent of their influence and persuade them to model positive behaviours rather than addictive ones.
Link- In this way, highlighting the role of family influences may help to reduce addictive behaviours.
What are the evaluation points for family influences as a risk factor?
+ Evidence for the role of social learning theory from family influences in addictive behaviours
— Research highlighting the role of family influences in addiction has a theoretical flaw, in that it can be easily explained through genetics
+ Its role in addiction is argued to be more critical than parental influence in the teenage years
+ Good practical applications
