In-depth notes and evaluations of the AQA A-Level Psychology topic 'Addiction'. Colourful and clear to read with evaluation points that can easily be converted into essay plans. Learning these notes achieved me an A*.
Addiction
Describing Addiction
A disorder in which an individual takes a substance of engages in a behaviour that is pleasurable but
eventually becomes compulsive with harmful consequences.
Psychological dependence
- A compulsion to continue taking a drug because it is rewarding.
- Increase in pleasure and decrease in discomfort.
Physical dependence
- A state of the body due to habitual drug use.
- Results in withdrawal syndrome when the drug is stopped/ reduced.
Withdrawal syndrome
- Symptoms associated with abstaining from drug use.
- Symptoms usually opposite of the ones given by the drug.
Tolerance
- The increasing amount of activity needed to achieve the same effect.
- Occurs when the response to an amount of drug is reduced, meaning they need larger doses to
produce the same effect.
Salience
- The importance of the behaviour to the individual.
- When they are not doing it, they are thinking about it.
Mood modification
- A person’s addictive drug or activity can have the capacity to achieve different mood-modifying
effects.
- Rush of feel-good hormones.
- E.g. Smoking in morning for nicotine rush, and evening to relax.
Conflict
- Addicts develop conflicts with people around them.
- Causes social misery.
- Develop conflicts with themselves.
Relapse
- The tendency for repeated reversions to earlier patterns of the addiction.
,Risk Factors in Development of Addiction
1)_Genetic vulnerability
- Any inherited predisposition that increases the risk of an addictive personality.
- Genes are not inevitable causes of addition on their own.
- When someone is exposed to the drug, genetic vulnerability can explain why some people
become dependent.
Genetic mechanisms
1) Dopamine receptors
o Proportion of all receptors in the brains of individuals is determined genetically.
o Abnormally low numbers of D2 receptor thought to be involved in addiction.
2) Enzyme to metabolise nicotine
o The enzyme to metabolise nicotine is genetically determined.
o Individuals with the fully functioning enzyme are at greater genetic risk of nicotine
addiction.
Evaluation
Research Support
- Looked at adults who were adopted as children from biological families where one parent
had an addiction.
- Significantly greater risk of developing an addiction themselves compared with adoptees
with no parents who had an addiction.
- Evidence for genetic vulnerability as important risk factor.
Indirect Effects
- Genetic factors may increase risk by determining certain addiction-related factors.
- E.g. Self-control and ability to regulate emotions.
- Genetic vulnerability may influence addiction risk more than it appears become some of its
effects are indirect.
2)_Stress
- Physiological and psychological state of arousal that arises when we believe we don’t have the
ability to cope with a perceived threat or stressor.
- Increased risk of addiction is associated with chronic stress and traumatic life events in
childhood.
Evaluation
Research Support
- Correlation between childhood rape and adult alcohol addiction.
- Only for those diagnosed with PTSD.
- Means child would only have addiction problem if they have a vulnerability (E.g. Early abuse)
and a later stressful situation (E.g. PTSD).
, - Suggests early experiences of severe stress have damaging effects on brain in sensitive
period of development.
- Creates vulnerability.
Everyday lives
- 13% of Americans said they used alcohol as a method to manage stress.
Individual Differences
- Stress may create vulnerability in some, but not all, people.
- Research suggests type 1 alcoholics drink to reduce tension and type 2 alcoholics drink to
relieve boredom.
- Stress may explain vulnerability to type 1 people but not all people.
Addictions don’t relieve stress
- Smokers smoke to relieve stress.
- The desire to have another cigarette is stressful so when the smoker has one, stress is
reduced.
- The desire to smoke increases stress levels.
Methodological issues
- Many of the research into stress involves ppts. recalling stressful or traumatic events in their
lives – ethical issues.
- Such incidents may be difficult to recall accurately because of stress or trauma.
3)_Peers
- Three major elements to peer influence as a risk factor for alcohol addiction:
o At-risk adolescent’s attitudes and norms about drinking are influenced by peers that
use alcohol.
o Experienced peers provide opportunities for the at-risk individual to use alcohol.
o Individual over-estimates how much their peers are drinking – drink more to keep up
with perceived norm.
Evaluation
Social-Learning Theory
- Research shows exposure to peer models increases likelihood that teenagers will begin
smoking.
- Perceived rewards such as social status and popularity are reinforcers to smoke/drink.
- Young people are more likely to imitate behaviour of those who have the most social contact.
Social-Identity Theory
- Group members adopt norms and behaviours that are central to the social identity of the
group to which they belong.
4) Family Influences
- One risk factor is perceived parental approval
o Perceived parental approval = The extent to which an adolescent believes their
parents have positive attitudes towards a particular drug or behaviour.
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