Risk Factors - Personality

Question 1

What is Eysenck’s theory?

Answer 1

1967 - Suggests there are 3 main personality traits with different risks for addiction

Question 2

What is extraversion?

Answer 2

The general tendency to experience positive emotions as well as being sociable, lively and active. Extraverts are chronically under aroused and as such may engage in addictive behaviours to gain stimulation to raise arousal in the CNS

Question 3

What is neuroticism?

Answer 3

The tendency to experience negative effects including anger, anxiety, self-consciousness, irritability etc. People high on this trait experience negative effect e.g. anxiety and may engage in addictive behaviours to alleviate tension through a form of self-medication

Question 4

What is psychoticism?

Answer 4

Aggression, impulsivity, aloofness and antisocial behaviours. This relates to sensation seeking, impulsivity and being emotionally detached. Individuals high on this trait may be most susceptible to addictions as they help manage these personality traits

Question 5

Cloniger (1987)

Answer 5

Proposed individuals high in novelty seeking, inhibited harm avoidance and reward dependence are extremely vulnerable to substance abuse

Question 6

Cao and Su (2006)

Answer 6

Found that 64 students were diagnosed as suffering internet addiction and that these students also had higher scores in neuroticism and psychoticism than comparison groups

Question 7

Verheul et al (1995)

Answer 7

Reviewed research and found that personality disorders were estimated to be found in 44% of alcoholics, 70% of cocaine addicts and 79% of opiate addicts and even more in multidrug users