Risk factors in development of Addiction

Question 1

List risk factors

Answer 1

Stress

Peers

Age

Personality

Question 2

Stress

Answer 2

Everyday stress

Traumatic stress

Question 3

Everyday stress

Answer 3

People report D,D,S + G as means to cope with daily hassles such as relationships, money + work

Stressors can contribute to initiation + continuation of addictions, as well as relapse

Question 4

Traumatic stress

Answer 4

P’s exposed to severe stress = more vulnerable to addictions esp children experienced parental loss or child abuse

PTSD = also linked to addiction

30% drug addicts + 15% alcoholics suffered from PTSD

Question 5

Peers

Answer 5

SLT

Social Identity Theory

Question 6

SLT

Answer 6

Behaviours are learned through observation of others + subsequent modelling of this behaviour

Young people = most likely to imitate behaviour of those with whom they have most social contact

Question 7

Social Identity Theory

Answer 7

Assumes group members adopt norms + behaviours that are central to social identity of the group

In groups where status of smoker or non-smoker is central to social identity of group = indis more likely to be similar to one another in smoking habits

Question 8

Age

Answer 8

Influence of peers on smoking + drugs wanes later in adolescence

Role of close friends + romantic partners = more important later on

Social crowd might have greater impact on smoking + drug use for young adolescents

Question 9

Personality

Answer 9

Neuroticism + Psychoticism

Tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour

Question 10

Neuroticism + Psychoticism

Answer 10

Eysenck proposed biologically based theory of personality based on 3 dimensions:

Extraversion-introversion

Neuroticism

Psychoticism

Found link between addiction + high scores of both neuroticism + psychotism

Question 11

Extraversion-introversion

Answer 11

extroverts are chronically under-aroused + bored + seek external stimulation to increase brain arousal

Question 12

Neuroticism

Answer 12

People high in neuroticism experience -ve affect (depression, anxiety)

Question 13

Psychoticism

Answer 13

Related to hostility + impulsivity (reacting with little forethought)

Question 14

Tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour

Answer 14

Proposed 3 personality traits that predispose individuals towards substance dependence:

Novelty seeking

Harm avoidance

Reward dependence

Question 15

Novelty seeking

Answer 15

Trying to engage in new experiences

Question 16

Harm avoidance

Answer 16

Which includes worrying + being pessimistic

Question 17

Reward dependence

Answer 17

The extent to which an individual learns quickly from rewarding experiences + repeats behaviours that have been rewarded

Question 18

Do addictions decrease stress?

Answer 18

Smokers say they smoke to reduce stress but it actually increases stress = stress may be risk factor for smoking addiction but the addiction doesn’t have the desired affect

Question 19

Ethical issues in Addiction research

Answer 19

Research in sensitive areas = threat of sanction

Research may reveal info that is incriminating in some way = might be interviewing someone with drug addiction who may reveal illegal behaviours

Interviewer must weigh up potential benefits (intervention) against potential risks (further discrimination)

Question 20

Support for SLT

Answer 20

Research supports claim that exposure to peer models increases the likelihood that teenagers will begin smoking

Research support for claim that perceived rewards such as social status + popularity are instrumental in why adolescents begin smoking + remain important while continue to smoke

Question 21

Limitation of research on personality

Answer 21

Research is correlational

Difficult to tell if personality causes addiction or addiction causes personality

Question 22

Belin et al

Answer 22

1 group of rats = sensation-seekers + immdiatly started taking large doses of cocaine

2nd group = high impulsiveness = started with lower doses but were the ones to become addicted

Evidence that personality came first = the cause of addiction

Question 23

Takao et al

Answer 23

Issued questionnaires to students

Problematic phone user tended to be low in self-esteem + high in self-monitoring

Supports view that people who become addicted share certain personality characteristics