Risk Factors Of Addictive Behaviour

Question 1

Everyday stress (cope with daily hassles)

Answer 1

Stressors may contribute to initiation, continuation, relapse after long period of abstinence

Question 2

Traumatic stress (more vulnerable e.g abused, PTSD)

Answer 2

Driessen et al: 30% drugs addicts, 15% alcoholics suffered from PTSD
Clerk and Blendy: abuse related to later stress-related disorders (e.g depression) -> chemical dependency

Question 2

Peers - Bricker et al.

Answer 2

Examined smoking 3 transitions: never tried -> 1st -> monthly -> daily
Data collected on smoking behaviour, close friend more influential for 1st transition, less for 3rd

Question 3

Peers

Answer 3

Smokers tend to be friend smokers and vice versa

Increased smoking level linked to encouragement, approval and message it increases popularity

Question 4

Peers - Social learning theory

Answer 4

Behaviours learned through observation and modelling
More likely to imitate those whom they have more social contact
Experience with new behaviour determine whether it persists

Question 5

Peers - Social identity theory

Answer 5

Group members adopt norms and behaviour central to social identity of group
More likely to be similar in smoking habits

Question 6

Age - Brown et al.

Answer 6

Young adolescence: peers have greater impact

Older: best friend and romantic partner plays greater role on attitudes

Question 7

Age - Amos and Bostock

Answer 7

8 focus groups of 15-16 yr old smokers, Edinburgh

Peer groups more influential when younger

Question 8

Age - personality traits associated

Answer 8

Young patients: impulsive, seek new sensations

Older patients: anxiety, gamble to modulate negative emotional stress

Question 9

Personality - Eysenck

Answer 9

Extroversion-introversion: extroverts are under-aroused and bored, seek stimulation
Neuroticism: high, experience negative affect (depression)
Psychoticism: hostility and impulsivity
Francis: link between addiction and high N and P

Question 10

Tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour

Answer 10

Cloniger: 3 traits that predispose individual
Novelty seeking - engage in new experiences
Harm avoidance - include worrying and being pessimistic
Reward dependence - extent individual learns from rewarding experience and repeats behaviour

Question 11

Stress - Individual differences

Answer 11

Cloniger: 2 different alcoholics
type 1 - drink to reduce tension (more likely female and prone to anxiety)
type 2 - relieve boredom (tendency towards risk taking
Type 1 vulnerable to stress

Question 12

Stress - do addictions decrease stress?

Answer 12

Smoking increases stress level. May be stress reducing because desire to have another cigarette is stressful, when smoker has one, stress reduced

Question 13

Social influence resistance skills

Answer 13

Significant reductions in onset and prevalence of smoking for groups getting training.
Showed beneficial effects in prevention and delay of smoking

Question 14

Social identity theory AO2

Answer 14

Adolescents motivated to being smoking because of stereotypes of social crowds
Little known about extent groups influence members to smoke

Question 15

Social learning theory AO2

Answer 15

Research supports claim exposure to peer models increases likelihood teenagers begin to smoke
Support claim perceived rewards important to initiation of smoking