Learning Explanation for Heroin Addiction - Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What learning theory can be used to explain heroin addiction?

Answer 1

Reinforcement

Question 2

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 2

Increased the frequency of behaviour because the effects are positive

Question 3

Which reinforcement is more effective?

Answer 3

Immediate positive reinforcements are more effective than delayed ones

Question 4

How does heroin properties work on the body?

Answer 4

Heroin has reinforcing properties therefore are particularly powerful as the user is learning to associate taking heroin with the positive feelings they experience after taking the drug

Question 5

What are the positive psychological consequences associated with heroin?

Answer 5

Euphoria - leads to an increase in heroin use

Question 6

What can the concept of positive reinforcement also explain about heroin?

Answer 6

Can also explain why a user can be addicted to a drug even when they are unaware of the unpleasant effects such as damaging their health

Question 7

What are the risks of heroin like compared to the positive reinforcement?

Answer 7

The risks are long term whereas the positive reinforcement are short term

Question 8

What can the concept of negative reinforcement be used to explain?

Answer 8

Can be used to explain maintenance of drug taking

Question 9

What does negative reinforcement refer to?

Answer 9

Refers to the strengthening of behaviour by removing something unpleasant

Question 10

How may heroin addicts be reinforced?

Answer 10

May be reinforced to continue using heroin in order to avoid the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

Question 11

What is the supporting evidence/strengths of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 11

Bozarth & Wise (1984)

Deneau (1969)

Question 12

What are the weaknesses of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 12

Limitations

Less effective

Nature-nurture debate

Question 13

Why is Bozarth & Wise (1984) supporting evidence of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 13

Bozarth and Wise found that positive reinforcement his linked to drug use

Rats would repeatedly self-administer morphine into the VTA area of the brain

Research challenged the idea that physical dependence is necessary for addiction to develop, instead emphasising the importance of positive reinforcement

Question 14

Why is Deneau (1969) supporting evidence of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 14

Deneau conducted monkey drug trials and the monkeys could self-administer drug solutions

Found that monkeys who voluntarily maintained self administration of morphine were experiencing its positive reinforcement effects

Question 15

Why is limitations a weakness of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 15

Such explanations for drug use cannot be completely separated from the biological explanations such as DRD2

Dopamine is linked to the feelings of euphoria experienced by heroin users and plays a role in the positive reinforcement experienced

Question 16

Why is effectiveness a weakness of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 16

While operant conditioning and reinforcement can adequately explain the continued use of drugs like heroin, it’s less effective in describing why an individual will initially take heroin

Need to be explained by the presence of a faulty gene such as A1 variant of DRD2 or SLT

Question 17

Why is nature-nurture debate a weakness of operant conditioning as an explanation for heroin addiction?

Answer 17

Learning explanation states individuals engage in such behaviour initially as a result of being exposed to it from others and then continue due to positive consequences

Biological explanation argues drug misuse s due to physiological changes in the brain

Taking opposing ends may be seen as a weakness of explaining drug misuse