Addiction - Risk Factors

Question 1

Risk factors in development of addiction?

Answer 1

Stress, peers, age, personality

Question 2

Weaknesses of risk factors in addiction?

Answer 2

Age bias

Question 3

Age bias in risk factors in addiction?

Answer 3

Most research is on younger groups, but Helfer found 17% of Swiss women took pain killers or sleeping pills everyday (less obvious)

Question 4

Types of stress?

Answer 4

Everyday and traumatic

Question 5

Research on everyday stress?

Answer 5

NIDA

Question 6

NIDA on stress?

Answer 6

Individuals use drink, smoking, drugs, alcohol etc as a means of coping with daily stressors, e.g. money, workplace, relationships

Question 7

Examples of traumatic stressors?

Answer 7

Severe, chronic stressors such as child abuse, loss, PTSD

Question 8

Research on traumatic stress?

Answer 8

Cleck and Blendy

Question 9

Cleck and Blendy?

Answer 9

The more significant and LT the stressor (child abuse), the more likely it’d cause initiation

Question 10

Research on PTSD?

Answer 10

Driessen et al

Question 11

Driessen et al?

Answer 11

30% of drug addicts and 15% of alcoholics had PTSD

Question 12

Weaknesses of stress as a risk factor?

Answer 12

Individual differences

Do addictions decrease stress?

Question 13

Individual differences in stress researcher?

Answer 13

Cloniger

Question 14

Cloniger?

Answer 14

2 types of alcoholics: type 1 (drank to reduce tension, more prone to anxiety/depression) and type 2 (drank to relieve boredom)

Question 15

Research on decreased stress in smoking?

Answer 15

Hajek et al

Question 16

Hajek et al?

Answer 16

Once taking up smoking it may become stress reducing as the desire to have another is stressful

Question 17

Research on peer influence on smoking?

Answer 17

McAllister et al

Question 18

Mcallister et al?

Answer 18

Transition to increased levels of smoking linked to peer encouragement and approval, and the message that smoking = popularity

Question 19

Research on peer influence on drugs?

Answer 19

Sussman and Ames

Question 20

Sussman and Ames?

Answer 20

Peer use of drugs is a strong predictor due to models, offering, groups etc.

Question 21

Aspects of peer influence?

Answer 21

SLT and Social Identity Theory

Question 22

Social Identity Theory researcher?

Answer 22

Abrams and Hogg

Question 23

Abrams and Hogg?

Answer 23

Group members adopt behaviours that are seen as the social identity of the group

Question 24

Michell?

Answer 24

Motivation for initiation is due to stereotypes held about specific social crowds

Question 25

Strengths of peers as a risk factor?

Answer 25

Treatment implications | Supporting research

Question 26

Weaknesses of peers as a risk factor?

Answer 26

Cause or effect? | Limited

Question 27

Treatments due to peers as a risk factor?

Answer 27

Should involve helping individuals manage their environment so they don't return to their original social context

Question 28

Cause or effect in peers as a risk factor?

Answer 28

Bullers et al

Question 29

Bullers et al?

Answer 29

Peer group predicted drinking but individual drinking also predicted subsequent peer group drinking (longitudinal, 1200+ adults)

Question 30

Support for peers as a risk factor?

Answer 30

Duncan et al

Question 31

Duncan et al?

Answer 31

Exposure to peer models increases likelihood of addiction

Question 32

Eiser et al?

Answer 32

Rewards such as status and popularity are instrumental in initiation and continuance

Question 33

Limitations of peers as a risk factor?

Answer 33

Little is known about extent of influence or whether this is restricted when it conflicts with own concerns to maintain a healthy lifestyle

Question 34

Research on age as a risk factor?

Answer 34

Brown et al

Question 35

Brown et al?

Answer 35

Influence of peers wanes in later adolescence as the role of close friends, and particularly partners, is increasingly important

Question 36

Suram?

Answer 36

Rewarding effects of self-administered nicotine on neural system highest in young rats, but withdrawal effects were highest in old age

Question 37

Research on old age?

Answer 37

Helfer

Question 38

Helfer?

Answer 38

44% of men over 75 drank everyday compared with 6% of 34 year olds

Question 39

Impact of old age on addiction?

Answer 39

Change of status -> addiction as coping mechanism

Question 40

Aspects of personality as a risk factor?

Answer 40

Neuroticism and psychoticism, and tridimensional theory of addictive behaviour

Question 41

Founder of theory of neuroticism and psychoticism?

Answer 41

Eysensk

Question 42

Neuroticism and psychoticism is...

Answer 42

biologically based theory of personality based on 3 dimensions: extraversion-introversion, neuroticism (leads to negative affect) and psychoticism (hostility and impulsiveness)

Question 43

Research on neuroticism and psychoticism?

Answer 43

Francis

Question 44

Francis?

Answer 44

Link between addiction and high scores on neuroticism and psychoticism

Question 45

Tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour founder?

Answer 45

Cloniger

Question 46

Tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour suggests...

Answer 46

there are 3 traits that predispose individuals: novelty seeking, harm avoidance (worrying, pessimism), and reward dependence (speed of learning -> repetition)

Question 47

Research on tridimensional theory of addictive behaviour?

Answer 47

Blaszozynski

Question 48

Blaszozynski?

Answer 48

Pathological gamblers had a significantly higher boredom proneness score

Question 49

Strengths of personality as a risk factor?

Answer 49

Support

Question 50

Weaknesses of personality as a risk factor?

Answer 50

Cause or effect? | Mainly due to personality?

Question 51

Cause or effect in personality as a risk factor?

Answer 51

Teeson et al

Question 52

Teeson et al?

Answer 52

Difficult to disentangle the effects of personality on addiction from addiction on personality, as they are correlational

Question 53

Support for personality as a risk factor?

Answer 53

Belin et al

Question 54

Belin et al?

Answer 54

Sensation seeking rats immediately started taking large doses of self-administered cocaine while impulsive ones started with lower doses but were the ones to become addicted

Question 55

Research suggesting addiction may not be mainly due to personality?

Answer 55

Buckholtz et al

Question 56

Buckholtz et al?

Answer 56

May be more rewarding for certain personality types as they have a more hypersensitive dopamine response system, so their heightened response makes them less fearful about the consequences