Psychology Unit 4
Addiction
Revision Notes
Sunday, 14 April 13
Addiction
What is addiction? It is a repetitive habit pattern that increases risk of disease and/or associated personal and social problems. Elements of Addiction Salience - individuals desire to perform the addictive act/behaviour Mood Modification - people with addictive behaviour often report a ‘high’, ‘buzz’ or a ‘rush’, addicts are known to use addictions for this. Tolerance - addicts tolerance increases therefore they increase the amount to get the same effect Withdrawal Symptoms - unpleasant feelings and physical effects that occur when the addiction is suddenly reduced Relapse - process of stopping the addiction and falling back into it Conflict Maladaptive Behaviour - people with addictive behaviours develop conflict with people around creating social isolation. +/• How many criteria is needed before a person can be said to have an addiction? • Many can tick all above for things like coffee drinking? Are they addicts? It seems like the key is being addicted to something that is harmful.
Sunday, 14 April 13
Outline and define what is meant by addiction. (5marks) Addiction is a repetitive habit pattern that increases risk of disease and/ or associated personal and social problems. Most theories say addiction goes through 3 stages, the first is initiation which is how the addiction starts?, then into maintenance, why addict continues?, and finally into relapse, why an addict may stop and start again? Theorists define addiction by 6 sub components of addiction, one is salience this is the desire to perform the addictive act. Another is mood modification such as ‘high’, most addicts perform the addictive act to achieve this. Tolerance is a big one whereby the more the addictive behaviour is done the tolerance levels increase therefore more has to be done to get the same effect. If withdrawing from the addictive behaviour withdrawal symptoms may occur such as unpleasant feelings or physical effects, this
Revision Notes
Sunday, 14 April 13
Addiction
What is addiction? It is a repetitive habit pattern that increases risk of disease and/or associated personal and social problems. Elements of Addiction Salience - individuals desire to perform the addictive act/behaviour Mood Modification - people with addictive behaviour often report a ‘high’, ‘buzz’ or a ‘rush’, addicts are known to use addictions for this. Tolerance - addicts tolerance increases therefore they increase the amount to get the same effect Withdrawal Symptoms - unpleasant feelings and physical effects that occur when the addiction is suddenly reduced Relapse - process of stopping the addiction and falling back into it Conflict Maladaptive Behaviour - people with addictive behaviours develop conflict with people around creating social isolation. +/• How many criteria is needed before a person can be said to have an addiction? • Many can tick all above for things like coffee drinking? Are they addicts? It seems like the key is being addicted to something that is harmful.
Sunday, 14 April 13
Outline and define what is meant by addiction. (5marks) Addiction is a repetitive habit pattern that increases risk of disease and/ or associated personal and social problems. Most theories say addiction goes through 3 stages, the first is initiation which is how the addiction starts?, then into maintenance, why addict continues?, and finally into relapse, why an addict may stop and start again? Theorists define addiction by 6 sub components of addiction, one is salience this is the desire to perform the addictive act. Another is mood modification such as ‘high’, most addicts perform the addictive act to achieve this. Tolerance is a big one whereby the more the addictive behaviour is done the tolerance levels increase therefore more has to be done to get the same effect. If withdrawing from the addictive behaviour withdrawal symptoms may occur such as unpleasant feelings or physical effects, this