The Learning/Behavioural Approach

Question 1

Initiation

Answer 1

Social learning theory can explain the initiation of smoking through modelling and vicarious reinforcement. People learn addictive behaviour by observing valued role models being rewarded for taking part in an addictive behaviour - vicarious reinforcement.
More attention if same sex, age, ethnic background and if perceived to have a high status.
Attention
Retention
Reproduction
Motivation

Question 2

Maintenance

Answer 2

Operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement - a behaviour is more likely to be repeated if it results in a pleasurable consequence/ reward. People may maintain an addiction to continue receiving peer approval or direct reinforcement such as weight loss or winning money
Negative reinforcement- people are more likely to repeat a behaviour if it removes or avoids an unpleasant stimulus. Avoid withdrawal symptoms

Question 3

Relapse

Answer 3

Classical conditioning can explain relapse. Addicts link the materials/situation associated with their addictive behaviour with the addiction itself. This may lead to the addict experiencing strong cravings. The addict is surrounded by these materials and experience pressure to return to their addictive behaviour
Negative reinforcement - smoking enables them to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Abstinence may be directly punished by weight gain or loss of social support making it more likely the addict will relapse

Question 4

Evaluation of the learning approach

Answer 4

Compare with other approaches - ignores well documented biological base to addiction.
Simplistic view of human behaviour.
Best explanation is the biopsychosocial model involving an interaction of factors.

Question 5

Smoking - initiation

Answer 5

Lader and Matheson found that parents are a major influence on whether children start smoking - children are twice as likely to smoke if their parents are smokers.

Michell and West suggested that the way in which peers exert their influence is complex. They found that having peers who smoke is not always a good predictor of whether children start smoking. The researchers found that some young people have a ‘readiness’ to smoke and it is only in this group that smoking peers have an influence. This suggests that social learning theory is not a compete explanation for the initiation of smoking

Question 6

Smoking - maintenance

Answer 6

Snow and Bruce looked at positive reinforcement. They carried out a self report study of 241 teenage girls and showed that continuing to smoke is seen as a way of enhancing their social reputation and maintaining their group membership. Providing support for the positively reinforcing effects of smoking

Question 7

Smoking - relapse

Answer 7

Classical conditioning - cue reactivity paradigm - there are many cues that may stimulate the urge to smoke which makes abstention difficult.
Shiffman asked former smokers to record when and where they relapsed. He found that smokers relapsed in situations where cigarettes were readily available and in the presence other smokers showing the importance of these cues

Question 8

Gambling - initiation

Answer 8

Gupta et al showed that observation and modelling of gambling behaviour of patents and family members had a sugnificant influence on gambling behaviour in children. They surveyed 477 children (aged 9-14) and found that 20% of children reported gambling regularly and of these 86% reported gambling with family members

Question 9

Gambling - maintenance

Answer 9

Operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement from winning or the buzz from the excitement of betting. The fact that gamblers do not always win but continue to win but continue to play is explained by the concept of variable schedules of reinforcement.
Griffith and Parke suggested slot machines use principles of positive reinforcement - high event frequency with many opportunities for winning and a short pay out interval - rewards follow quickly to increase the addictive qualities of the gambling activity

Question 10

Gambling - relapse

Answer 10

Classical conditioning - cue reactivity paradigm - there are many cues that may stimulate the urge to gamble which makes abstention difficult. Gamblers also relapse through negative reinforcement continuing to gamble helps them avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Marlatt suggested that an effective intervention for preventing relapse in problem gambling in cue exposure treatment. This involves developing coping skills and desensitising individuals to the cue for gambling