risk factors

Question 1

explain personality as a risk factor of addiction (w/p 3 super traits)

Answer 1

dispositional factor which explains why some become addicted and some don’t despite many having the same experience
EYSENICK - correlation between certain traits and addiction along 3 super traits

Question 2

explain everyday stress as a risk factor for addiction

Answer 2

tension - reduction hypothesis (capell + greeley) people may engage with addictive behaviours (example) to help reduce/ cope with their anxiety and tension.
Tension creates heightened sense of arousal and a lot of addictive behaviour will reduce this state

everyday stress are daily hassles (homework, money, rship) which can accumulate and create stress within a person
- may contribute to the initiation and continuation of addictive behaviour.

Question 3

explain traumatic stress as a risk factor of addiction
+ research

Answer 3

tension reduction hypothesis (capell and greeley), indvs may engage with addictive behaviours in attempt to reduce tension and anxiety.
tension creates heightened sense of arousal and much addictive behaviour will reduce this

traumatic stress - research has found that those exposed to severe stress are more vulnerable to addictions, especially children who have experiences parental loss for example.

DRIESSEN - found that 30% alcoholics and 15% drug addicts also suffered from PTSD (comorbid)
It not just being exposed to traumas, but how you INTERNALISE it
such major life events may not only increase risks of addictions but could also make you readjust life

Question 4

positive EV for stress as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 4

evidence - personal stress is linked to substance abuse
BUCKLEY - 47% SZ pts had a substance related disorder - anxiety and stress from this condition contribute to addiction
= stress and mental health issues relate

evidence - TAVOLACCI, students who found university to be very stressful may develop addictive disorders - compared highly stressed students to those feeling less stressed and found that higher stress level was related to;
smoking regularly
alcohol abuse
risk of internet addiction
= stress and vulnerability to addiction are linked

Question 5

negative EV stress as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 5

cause and effect issue - although evidence links stress and addiction, its largely RETROSPECTIVE research with NO BEFORE AND AFTER measurements = cant assume stress cause addiction
factors which may mediate the effect of stress on addiction may be personality, genetic, availability to the drug may increase the stress itself
= links are simply correlational

indv diffs need to be taken into account - stress may not create vulnerability in all - KOBASA, hardiness can create a protective factor against stress and addiction
= incomplete as an explanation

Question 6

what is the meaning of hardiness

Answer 6

when you have high control, commitment and challenge

Question 7

explain the 3 traits of personality as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 7

EXTRAVERSION - chronically under aroused
addictive behaviours gain stimulation to RAISE arousal in CNS
- inactive reticular activating system = seek out more stimulating activities (drug taking) = optimal level of arousal

NEUROTICISM (emotionally unstable) - -higher reactive limbic system = addiction, not reactive = calmer
- people high on this trait experience negative affect (anxiety) addictive behaviours = alleviate tension + anxiety
(self medication)

PSYCHOTICISM
sensation seeking
impulsivity + emotionally detached
indvs high on this trait = susceptible to addictions - help manage these personality traits
- addictive behavs raise DA levels (trait demands you do that)

Question 8

who proposed 3 extra personality factors which make you more vulnerable to addictive behaviours and what r they

Answer 8

CLONIGER
- novelty seeking (those who explore new experiences all the time)
- inhibited harm avoidance
- reward dependence

Question 9

positive EV personality factors

Answer 9

evidence - CAO + SU (12-18yrs)
volunteer sample of around 2600 Chinese adolescents
several surveys measuring personality variables + internet usage
arnd 2% students diagnosed with internet addiction - had sig higher scores of neuroticism and psychoticism than comparison group

Question 10

negative EV personality trait

Answer 10

cause and effect
TEESON - research is largely correlational
many traits are common amongst addicts, doesn’t predict addictive behaviour
unknown which came first - addictive behaviour can have profound affect on behav, cognition and personality
= inconclusive

Question 11

explain peer groups as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 11

adolescence when experiment with addictive behavs (NSI)

-research in SLT - learn addictive behaviours through observation of others and those in contact with - peers are our EQUAL STATUS ROEL MODELS which are important in the initiation of add behavs not necessarily its maintenance

social identity theory
TAJFEL - gained through members of ingroups - adopt norms and behav central to the group
= peer groups where status as a smoker is central = indvs are likely to be simialr in smoking habits and even share the same brand of cigarettes

Question 12

what are peer networks

Answer 12

peers may increase the availability and access to drugs and could even encourage relapse
(influence the initiation and maintenance of behaviours and relapse)

Question 13

positive EV of peers as risk factor of addiction

Answer 13

evidence - SUSSMAN + AMES
peer use of drugs was one of the best predictors for future drug use by others
- believed peers helped create normative perceptions (subjective norms) that such behaviours are socially acceptable
= peer influence is sig factor

Question 14

negative EV peers as risk factor of addiction

Answer 14

cause + effect issues (only correlational)
- which came first
- drawn to people that share similar social demographic as ourselves (FILTER THEORY)
- perhaps once we develop addictions we befriend certain people that could increase access to addictions
=peer choice could be the result of the addiction

Question 15

explain genetic influence as a risk factor of addiction
gene and evidence

Answer 15

implicated in creating a genetic vulnerability in dev addictive behavs
- explains why some become addicted to behaviours after having sampled them but others (w/o vuln) don’t become addicted

• COMINGS - faulty A1DRD2 gene (pathological gamblers) which reduces the no of DA receptors in pleasure centres within LIMBIC SYSTEM
  = indvs are less sensitive to rewards, seek out extra stimulating activities (gambling) to compensate
  = reward deficiency syndrome (BLUM) - creates genetic vulnerability in many compulsive disorders
• abt 70% alcohol + abt 50% cocaine addicts had this genetic variant

Question 16

positive EV genetic influence as a risk factor of addcition

Answer 16

evidence - SHIELDS, conc rate between 42 pairs of twins that had been reared apart
- 33 pairs were identical in their smoking habits.
this shows how genetics had a big part in the development of addictive behaviour since twins did not share the same environmental stimuli
= genetics are a major influence in the dev

Question 17

negative EV genetic influence as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 17

findings can be easily explained using nurture + environmental influences - what is deemed acceptable and legitimate in a household is imitated and reinforced in the household -maintaining addictive behaviours through nurture not genetics
= LARGELY INCONCLUSIVE

Question 18

explain family influence (2 factors) as a risk factor of addiction

Answer 18

family influence is likely to be seen through addictive behaviours and attitudes towards them
SLT - we model our behaviour on key role models (parents + siblings)
suggests that we learn to become addicted to behaviours through vicarious reinforcement + role models

-behaviour picked up through vicarious learning/ direct reinforcement
- highest status role model does behaviour
- attention
- observed positive effects from behaviour
- regular exposure to behaviour = RETAIN info
- reproduce
- motivation to repeat from vicarious reinforcement + peer influence (equal status role models) - NSI

parenting styles
- uninvolved parenting/ neglectful parenting, uninvolved parents lack focus on child
- permissive parents (over indulgent) giving child too much attention + too quick to respond to child’s needs
-lack of discipline + self control opens up opportunity to fall into patterns of drug use

Question 19

positive EV family influence as rick factor of addiction

Answer 19

evidence - GODDARD
- longitudinal research examining factors that may predict youngster’s smoking behaviours
- main finding, if parents smoked the kids are more likely to
= parents lead by example in potential addiction