Abstinence By Zhang M. D.: Article Analysis

In the article, “Effects of Stress on Decision-Making Deficits in Formerly Heroin Dependent Patients After Different Durations of Abstinence” written by Xiao-Li Zhang M.D., the author explores the effects of drug abuse on decision making deficits. The article is based on the decision-making skills of heroin addicts after abstinence, the effects of stress on decision-making skills after different lengths of abstinence, and whether the effect of stress could be blocked by propranolol. Good decision-making skills were defined as the “process of choosing among alternative options in order to achieve the outcome most beneficial to the decision maker” (Zhang). In this experiment, the author hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in decision-making between recently abstinent heroin addicts and relatively longer time abstinent heroin addicts. Furthermore, since stress is known to cause relapse in substance …show more content…
This may have been a problem considering it would be learned by subjects after so much repetition and therefore not accurate. Also, not everyone is quick on solving mental math problems. Whereas some may be quick to solve a problem mentally, others may need to see it on paper whether addicted to a drug or not. Finally, separate groups were used according to abstinence time rather than having been separated by the assessment of decision-making prior to the study. Also it would have been great if the experimenter could have done the study over longer periods of time, perhaps, before heavy heroin addiction started as well as after abstinence over a period of time.
Over all, the study proved differences in decision-making in heroin addicts and was successful in that it proved addicts make more decisions with higher immediate gains but higher future losses although it didn’t prove any difference in cognition according to the