Review of Lauren Slater's Article, Rat Park
English 926
March 12,2013
Rat Park In Lauren Slater’s article Rat Park, Slater talks about Bruce Alexander’s study and experiments on addiction. Alexander’s experiment consists of lab rats in two environments. The first is a caged environment and the second was a “perfect environment” called Rat Park. Rats in each environment were given two choices of water. One study group had regular water and the second was a form of heroin in water. The caged rats chose to drink the drugged water until they were placed into the “perfect” rat park environment. Once placed in this environment, theses rats stopped drinking the drugged water and started to drink the regular water. The rodents originally placed in the rat park drank the regular water and never chose to drink the water that was drugged with heroin. From this experiment Alexander came to the conclusion that addiction isn’t real and only comes about due to the environment you are in. Alexander’s hypothesis was controversial. Alexander believes that addiction does not exist at all from the data he has gotten back from his experiments. I believe addiction does exist and is introduced reinforced and heightened by three main factors. These factors are ones environment and social circle. The other is brain chemistry. And lastly there is the individual’s choice to continue with the addiction or seek help and end it. Your environment and or social setting introduce the beginning of the addiction. Alexander agrees “Society and your part in it plays a large role in drug addiction. People suffer in their skin want relief from the pain of life. Media also weighs in on addiction further controlling society”. Initially an addict will begin to use their addiction to escape form something in their life that they feel they can’t deal with. There is a whole myriad scenario that can trigger the individual to begin to use. Lost of a job, divorce, or failure or live up to expectations real or imagined
March 12,2013
Rat Park In Lauren Slater’s article Rat Park, Slater talks about Bruce Alexander’s study and experiments on addiction. Alexander’s experiment consists of lab rats in two environments. The first is a caged environment and the second was a “perfect environment” called Rat Park. Rats in each environment were given two choices of water. One study group had regular water and the second was a form of heroin in water. The caged rats chose to drink the drugged water until they were placed into the “perfect” rat park environment. Once placed in this environment, theses rats stopped drinking the drugged water and started to drink the regular water. The rodents originally placed in the rat park drank the regular water and never chose to drink the water that was drugged with heroin. From this experiment Alexander came to the conclusion that addiction isn’t real and only comes about due to the environment you are in. Alexander’s hypothesis was controversial. Alexander believes that addiction does not exist at all from the data he has gotten back from his experiments. I believe addiction does exist and is introduced reinforced and heightened by three main factors. These factors are ones environment and social circle. The other is brain chemistry. And lastly there is the individual’s choice to continue with the addiction or seek help and end it. Your environment and or social setting introduce the beginning of the addiction. Alexander agrees “Society and your part in it plays a large role in drug addiction. People suffer in their skin want relief from the pain of life. Media also weighs in on addiction further controlling society”. Initially an addict will begin to use their addiction to escape form something in their life that they feel they can’t deal with. There is a whole myriad scenario that can trigger the individual to begin to use. Lost of a job, divorce, or failure or live up to expectations real or imagined