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10 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back

Learning Theory Approach
Initiation of addiction

Social learning theory – initiation occurs through observations of role models (peers, parents, media, celebrities, etc.) and imitation of their behaviour.

Learning Theory Approach
Maintenance of addiction

*Classical conditioning (Cue Reactivity Theory) – stimuli related to the addiction become associated with the positive feelings produced.
*Operant conditioning – the addictive behaviour brings rewards such as peer acceptance, physiological ‘buzz’, etc. which makes the individual want to repeat the behaviour.

Learning Theory Approach
Relapse of addiction

*Classical conditioning (Cue Reactivity Theory) – when presented with stimuli related to their addiction, the addict anticipates the associated pleasure. This produces a physiological response which makes them relapse.
*Operant conditioning – the person relapses into their addictive behaviour to avoid the unpleasantness of withdrawal (negative reinforcement).

Learning Theory Approach
Evaluative comments

- Learning theories are reductionist: Stimulus response humans seen as copying behaviours without thinking.
- Deterministic: You are pre destined to become an addict. Learning theories explain addictive behaviour without involving any conscious evaluation of the costs or benefits of a particular activity.
- Neither conditioning explanation is sufficient on its own: Classical and operant are useful in explaining maintenance and relapse, but not initiation.
whereas SLT, good at explaining intiation and maintenance, but weak at relapse.
- Likely that other models explain addiction better- e.g. cognitive as it sees humans as thinking about what they are doing

Learning Theory Approach
Initiation of smoking

*SLT: initiation occurs through vicarious reinforcement. The individual begins to smoke because they observe others receiving positive rewards (such as popularity) from the smoking behaviour and they then begin to associate these rewards with the smoking behaviour. Mayeux et al. (2008) found a correlation between smoking and popularity two years later.
As smoking is most likely to begin during adolescence, peers are likely to be the most influential role models, although media role models may also be influential. Karcher and Finn found that adolescents who had close friends that smoked were up to 8 times more likely to smoke than those adolescents who had close friends that did not smoke.

Learning Theory Approach
Maintenance of smoking

*Classical conditioning: Carter and Tiffany (1999) suggest that addicts start to associate certain stimuli with their addictive behaviour. This could be items such as cigarette lighters, or situations, such as when in the pub. These stimuli then act as ‘cues’, producing similar feelings to the addictive behaviour itself, thus encouraging the individual to continue with their addiction.
*Operant conditioning: The addiction is maintained because the pleasurable feelings produced by increased levels of dopamine act as positive reinforcement for the addictive behaviour, whilst the avoidance of withdrawal symptoms also negatively enforces the behaviour. The addict continues with the behaviour to maintain the pleasurable feelings and avoid the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.

Learning Theory Approach
Relapse of smoking

*Classical conditioning: likelihood of relapse is increased if the individual is confronted with ‘cues’ that remind them of their addiction. These cues produce similar physiological effects as the behaviour itself, causing the individual to relapse.
*Operant conditioning: The individual relapses to avoid the unpleasant feelings produced by nicotine withdrawal such as weight gain, constipation, anxiety and insomnia, which last for an average of three weeks. Parrott (1988) found abstaining from nicotine caused increased stress and anxiety. Smoking immediately removed the anxiety and in theshort term reduced the perception of stress.

Learning Theory Approach
Initiation of gambling

*SLT: Gambling behaviour is initiated when the addict sees others being rewarded for their addictive behaviour (winning). Gupta (1997) reported that 86% of children (aged 9-14) who gamble regularly reported gambling with family members. They also found that, as the children's age increased they tended to gamble more at friend's homes and school. This supports the role of SLT in initiation of gambling as parents and peers are likely to be the most important role models.

Learning Theory Approach
Maintanance of gambling

*Classical conditioning: The individual may condition to gamble because the material associated with their habit is presented to them on a day to day basis (e.g. walking past betting shops). Edelgard (2009) found that heart rate increased for both social and pathological gamblers, but was significantly higher in the pathological group when exposed to a cue for their preferred form of gambling.
*Operant conditioning: People are said to continue gambling in order to experience the buzz and reward. Although you do not win every time when gambling, intermittent or variable reinforcement has been shown to produce longer lasting acquisition of gambling and indeed other behaviours.

Learning Theory Approach
Relapse of gambling

*Classical conditioning: Returning to gambling after a period of abstinence can be explained in terms of cue-reactivity. The material associated with gambling is all around, particularly with the easy way which people can now gamble e.g. on-line. Gamblers are constantly surrounded by reminders of their addictive behaviour (e.g. TV adverts), causing them to relapse. Wolfling (2011) found pathological gamblers showed increased physiological arousal when presented with gambling cues, which also increased cravings to gamble, thus leading to an increased likelihood of relapse.