Week 4: Lecture

Question 1

Addiction

Answer 1

the condition of being unable to stop using or doing something as a habit, harmful

Question 2

Why is overdose not a correct word?

Answer 2

The context should be taking into account. the environment matters. IT’s easier to overdose in an environment you’re not used to.

Question 3

hypothermic

Answer 3

(= lowers your body temperature): not used to the alcohol yet

Question 4

hyperthermic

Answer 4

hyperthermic (= brings up your body temperature): conditioned to want it

Question 5

Niko Tinbergen → a behaviour/emotion is understood when you understand four things:

Answer 5

1. Its development → mix of classical and operant conditioning
2. The underlying mechanisms → activation of a (disturbed) reward system
3. Its function(s) → hijacked reward system (see point four)
4. Its evolution → served the survival of the species. ADHD or psychotic symptoms can be very helpful.

Question 6

Substance Abuse Disorder

Answer 6

alcohol/substance use that causes impairment in functioning or noticeable stress + at least 1/10 other symptoms (e.g. tolerance)
→ 2-3 symptoms = mild, 4-5 symptoms = moderate, > 5 symptoms = severe

Question 7

Dynamic Systems Theory

Answer 7

studies the behaviour of systems that exhibit internal states that evolve over time (i.e., internal dynamics) and how these systems interact with external applied input (often referred to as perturbations –> anxiety) → behaviour is a complex dynamic system

Question 8

Gateway Theory/Hypothesis

Answer 8

the possibility that the taking up of habit A, which is considered harmless (or less harmful), may lead to the subsequent taking up of another habit, B, which is considered harmful (or more harmful) → this is the order of use

Question 9

Drugs: how addictive are they? → addictive = (pleasure + psych dependence + phy dependence): Heroin

Answer 9

morphine (brain) (pain and reward cells → euphoria) → (all three)

Question 10

COCAINE

Answer 10

floods the brain with dopamine (pleasure)

Question 11

Nicotine

Answer 11

Lungs, brain 10 seconds (pleasure but short)

Question 12

Barbiturates

Answer 12

Downer, mtuing brain areas (pleasure)

Question 13

Alcohol

Answer 13

Boots inhibitory pathways (pleasure)

Question 14

Did you know about antidepressants…

Answer 14

psychological dependence, not really because of pleasure, pain and reward cells, and euphoria

Question 15

Within operant conditioning, there are examples of how it works in relation to addiction. Explain.

Answer 15

→ example of addiction, the substance hijacks the brain in making it think it wants it
→ example of nicotine, brain response: dopamine = pleasure (+ negative reinforcement)

Question 16

Incentive-Sensitisation Theory =

Answer 16

posits the essence of drug addiction to be excessive amplification specifically of psychological ‘wanting’, especially triggered by cues, without necessarily an amplification of ‘liking’. → brain circuits underlying these processes are dissociable
→ wanting is a form of motivation (fed by cues and negative reinforcement) and liking is a reward

Question 17

disulfiram (like antabus)

Answer 17

causes an adverse reaction to alcohol leading to nausea, vomiting, flushing, dizziness, throbbing headache, chest and abdominal discomfort, and general hangover-like symptoms among others → results in people reducing their amount of alcohol intake

Question 18

Rational Choice Theory

Answer 18

use self-interests to make choices to provide with greatest benefit → use if motivated by weighing immediate pay offs and e ffects of use for the individual in future: “when the pain of change becomes less than the pain of staying the same, then you will change”

Question 19

Behavrioral economics: subtance use is…

Answer 19

a. an invese function of constraints on access to the substance
B. A direct function of constraints on access to alternative rewards