Explanations for Nicotine addiction

Question 1

What is the first explanation for Nicotine addiction?

Answer 1

Brain Neurochemistry

Question 2

Explain Brain Neurochemistry which could start a nicotine addiction.

Answer 2

-nicotine is inhaled and this reaches the nicotine receptors in the brain in less than 10 secs
-triggers neurons in the ventagel tegmental area to release dopamine
-travels down the misolimbic
-dopamine stimulates D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens encourages to have more leading to more addictive behvaiour
-Dopamine travels down the misocortical pathway
-dopamines stimulates the pre frontal cortex this mkaes the individuals focus on the smoking behaviour

Question 3

What are the two cellular changes?

Answer 3

upregulation or Downregulation

Question 4

What is upregulation?

Answer 4

-havent smoked in a long period of time causing the nicotnine receptors to become available leading to withdrawal
-increase number of nicotine receptors and so more nicotine is needed in order to have an effect

Question 5

What is downregulation?

Answer 5

-The D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens they become less sensitive
-reduced number of nicotnie receptors so wont feel a buzz so would need more nicotine

Question 6

What is the evaluation for brainchemistry?

Answer 6

RTS McEvoy
Biological Reductionist
Scientific methods

Question 7

Explain the RTS by MCEVOY.

Answer 7

-studied schizophrenic indivdiuals who were taking a drug called haloperidal.
-it was a dopamine antagonist which means it blocked the dopamine receptors which lowered dopamine activity in the brain
-those who took the drug were smoking more
-support as they sought to nicotine in order to increase the levels of dopamine in the brain to feel euphoria

Question 8

Explain the evaluation of biologically reductionist.

Answer 8

-RCHB of a nicotine addiction DTSBUO dopamine levels in the brain
-this neglects the holistic approahc which takes into a count a individuals social context and culture more inlfunece
-for example develop as they want to fit in with a peer group
-behaviour contedxt

Question 9

Explain scientific methods.

Answer 9

-uses scinetific inquiry when investiagting human behvaiur
-based on objective and empirical techniques e.g brain scans urine sampels used to identifiy neurochemical factors
-there fore in cresing the inrernal validity therefore increaseing psycholigcal scientific status

Question 10

What is the second explanation of a nicotine addiction?

Answer 10

learning theory reference to Cue reactivity

Question 10

Explain how you form a nicotine addiction through operant conditioning.

Answer 10

-positive reinforcement
-they are rewarded with the feeling of euphoria when inhaling nicotnine due to effect on reward pathway
-behaviour is repeated to gain the same euphoric feeling

Question 11

Explain how the addictive behaviour is maintained through operant conditioning.

Answer 11

-when you stop taking nicotine this can lead to signs of withdrawal symptoms
-these are unpleasant disturbed sleep agitation
-so they continue to smoke to avoid these unpleasant conseuqences

Question 12

Explain cue reactviity.

Answer 12

So individuals they associate the enviornmental stimuli (NS) with teh smoking behaviour (UCS)
-see cause crave to smoke
-e.g see a pub fag
-maintaied to avoid withdrawal

Question 13

What are the evaluations for learning theory?

Answer 13

RTS CARTER and TIFFANY
environmental determinism
Practical application

Question 14

Explain RTS carried out by CARTER and TIFFANY.

Answer 14

-meta analysis on 41 studies into cue reactivity
-presented depedant non dependant and non smoking individuals with smoking cues
-dependant reacted strongly to cues such as increased heart rate and craved to smoke
-associated smoking related to stimlii lead to craving

Question 15

Explain the evaluation of environmental reductionism.

Answer 15

-suggests individuals are being controlled by reinforcements and associatoion
-e.g idividualis rewarded smoking beh through euphoria inevitable repeated to get again
-neglectd the role of free will and choice an individual has
-e.g individual may smoke and recieve a pleasureable feeling but then they may stop due to health reson

Question 16

explain the evaluation of practical application.

Answer 16

-POTT, that addiction is cause by association in cue reactivity
-has lead to behavoural intervention of aversion therapy
-effective as it encourages patients to reassociate nicotnien with negative feeling e.g nausea
-important part of applied psychoolgot used in the real world