Addiction - Learning Approach

Question 0

Maintenance of gambling behaviour - intermittent reinforcement

Answer 0

Intermittent reinforcement is the reinforcement of an occasional win
So they become used to long periods without a reward

Question 1

Initiation of addiction to gambling - operant conditioning?
Griffiths - rewards?
Thinking rationally?

Answer 1

Behaviour that produces a rewarding consequence becomes more frequent
Griffiths - physiological rewards from slot machines (the buzz)
Psychological rewards (the near miss)
Social rewards (peer praise)
Financial rewards (money)
Delfabbro and Winefield - don’t think rationally so greater weight may be given to the experience of winning

Question 2

Maintenance of gambling behaviour - social

Answer 2

Lambos et al - peers and family members more likely to approve of gambling

Question 3

Relapse of gambling behaviour - conditioned cues

Association with other things

Answer 3

Addicts learn to associate other stimuli with gambling behaviour
They act as triggers for gambling as they can increase arousal
After a period of abstinence these conditioned cues can put individual at higher risk of relapse.

Question 4

Relapse of gambling behaviour - approach avoidance conflict
Consequences
Motivation

Answer 4

As gambling as negative and positive consequences a conflict is created.
Motivation fluctuates
Ability to control the increased arousal

Question 5

Initiation of addiction to smoking - role models

Social learning theory

Answer 5

Social learning theory - young people begin smoking due to surrounding influences
So experimental smoking is mainly from parental and peer role modelling

Question 6

Initiation of addiction to smoking - popularity as positive reinforcer

Answer 6

Mayeux et al - positive relationship between smoking at age 16 and boys popularity two years later

Question 7

Maintenance of smoking behaviour - a conditioned association

Answer 7

Repetition leads to strong conditioned association between sensory aspects (sight! smell, taste) and the positive feeling reinforcing effects of nicotine
These conditioned stimuli activate brain areas making it harder to stop after a long time

Question 8

Relapse of smoking behaviour - conditioned cues

Answer 8

Cues associated with receiving nicotine increase likelihood of a response from the smoker
Hogarth et al - craving increased when conditioned stimuli presented

Question 9

Relapse of smoking behaviour - refusal self efficacy

Answer 9

A persons belief that they can succeed in a situation.

Smoke more frequently - less confidence to abstain

Question 10

Gender bias in smoking addiction research?

Answer 10

Nerin de la puerta and jané
Women start smoking later than men
Explanation fails to address differences

Question 11

Evaluation - does not explain all forms of gambling

Answer 11

Operant conditioning theme is difficult to apply to all forms of gambling
Timespan of gambling (scratch cards vs sports)
Chance vs skill

Question 12

Evaluation of subgroups of gamblers -

Behaviourally conditioned vs those with emotional issues

Answer 12

Behaviourally conditioned - exposure through role models, have least severe addiction and most likely to succeed in treatment
Those with anxiety or depression and poor coping skills - emotionally vulnerable gambler that needs support. They are more resistant to change as they are emotionally dependent on the activity. They would need additional treatment for the underlying causes.

Question 13

Gambling Evaluation - why do only some people get addicted?
It doesn’t answer this
Transition from behaviour to addiction?

Answer 13

It may explain initiation but not maintenance
Many people gamble at some point but not everybody becomes addicted
So there are other factors involved in the transition from gambling behaviour to gambling addiction

Question 14

Evaluation - Smoking role models research

Parents, siblings, friends

Answer 14

Peer group influence is primary influence
Teens hang out with other teens that smoke
Karcher and Finn - youth with smoking parents more likely to smoke themselves
Even more likely if siblings also smoke
Most likely if close friends smoked

Question 15

Evaluation of smoking - conditioned cues in the environment

Answer 15

Thewissen et al tested importance of environmental contexts in the urge to smoke

Cue predicting smoking led to a greater urge to smoke than a cue associated with smoking unavailability

Question 16

Evaluation of smoking - implications for treatment

Answer 16

Drummond et al - cues are important factor of maintenance
Cue exposure - presenting cues without opportunity to fulfil desire
This leads to stimulus discrimination so the association is extinguished, reducing the craving that arises when exposed to that particular cue.

Question 17

Evaluation - Real world application, drug prevention programmes

Answer 17

Bot in - drug prevention programmes should target beginner adolescents as they are the most vulnerable at a developmental period where they can be influenced by their peers, so they need resistance skills
Counter pro smoking messages from their environment.

Question 18

Evaluation - significance of occasional reinforcement

Answer 18

The positive effect received from fulfilling gambling or smoking desires is not constant and only occasional
We learn to adapt and as long as the desired effect is now and then a pattern of addictive behaviour can be established and maintained.