Addictive Behaviors

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to addictive behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, theories of addiction, and health implications.

Binge Drinking

Defined as consuming more than 8 units of alcohol for men and more than 6 units for women within a single day.

COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe.

Moral Model of Addiction

A perspective that views addiction as a moral failing or weakness, rather than as a disease.

Second Disease Concept of Addiction

A perspective that focuses on the individual and sees addiction as an illness needing treatment, rather than just a substance problem.

Social Learning Theory

A theory suggesting that behaviors, including addiction, are learned through observation and imitation of others.

Relapse

The return to previous behaviors after a period of abstinence, often triggered by stress or high-risk situations.

Abstinence Violation Effect (AVE)

A concept that explains how feelings of guilt and self-blame following a lapse in abstinence can lead to full-blown relapse.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that pairs a neutral stimulus with a response, leading to a conditioned response to the stimulus.

For example, Pavlov's dogs learned to salivate (conditioned response) at the sound of a bell (conditioned stimulus) after the bell was repeatedly paired with food (unconditioned stimulus).

Addiction

A psychological or physical dependence on a substance characterized by tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and compulsive use.

Self-efficacy

A person's belief in their ability to manage and cope with high-risk situations that may lead to substance use.

Health Belief Model

A psychological model that attempts to explain and predict health behaviors by focusing on attitudes and beliefs of individuals.

Negative Reinforcer

Any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the likelihood of the response occurring again. It is associated with operant conditioning. 

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning.

For example, the smell of food that makes you hungry.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

The unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus.

For example, salivating when food is present.

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning where behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.

For example, a child learns to say 'please' to get a cookie, as asking politely (behavior) is reinforced by receiving a cookie (reward).

Excessive Appetites Theory

A theory proposing that addictions arise from an initial attempt to satisfy normal human desires (e.g., for pleasure, belonging, or relief from pain) which then become disproportionate and compulsive.

Excessive Appetites Theory

It views addiction as a learned behavior maintained by positive reinforcement (seeking pleasure/reward) and negative reinforcement (avoiding discomfort/withdrawal).

Disease Model of Addiction

A framework that conceptualizes addiction as a chronic brain disease, similar to other medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease.

It emphasizes biological, genetic, and environmental factors that alter brain function, impairing control over substance use and necessitating medical treatment.

Learning Model of Addiction

A perspective that views addictive behaviors as acquired and maintained through learning processes.

This model integrates concepts from classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory, highlighting the role of environmental cues, reinforcement, and observational learning in the development and perpetuation of addiction.

First Disease Concept of Addiction

From the 90th century, this concept viewed the substance as the problem. Addiction was seen as an illness, and treatment focused on excessive drinkers. It was the earliest biomedical approach.

Early 20th Century Alcohol Policy

Attempts to ban alcohol (like US Prohibition) failed, leading to more issues. Governments later shifted to taxing and profiting from alcohol sales.

Second Disease Concept of Addiction (Core Focus)

Emerging in the 20th century, this concept shifted focus to the person addicted, not the alcohol. Uncontrolled or excessive drinking was seen as an illness needing treatment.

Causes of Alcoholism (Second Disease Concept)

Believed to be caused by pre-existing physical or psychological abnormalities, or dependency that developed over time.

Key Beliefs of the Second Disease Concept

Addiction is an illness. You're either an addict or not (no in-between). It's irreversible. It focuses on the individual, with the goal of total lifelong abstinence.

Criticisms of the Second Disease Concept

Criticized for the difficulty of lifelong abstinence, not accounting for relapse, and fostering hopelessness with an 'once a drunk, always a drunk' mindset.

Challenges to the Second Disease Concept

Studies (Dovies 1962, Sobel & Sobel 1978) showed some alcoholics could return to controlled drinking, questioning the 'irreversibility' claim and the sole focus on abstinence.

Social Learning Theory (Addiction View)

From the 1970s, this theory sees addictive behaviors as learned habits that can be unlearned. They exist on a continuum (not discrete) and are treated by abstinence or relearning 'normal' behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

In operant conditioning, this process strengthens a behavior when it is followed by the removal or avoidance of an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus.

For example, taking a substance to alleviate withdrawal symptoms is negatively reinforced because the unpleasant symptoms are removed, making the continued use of the substance more likely.

Disease Model of Addiction (Interaction Perspective)

A perspective explaining addiction as being due to biological or physiological processes such as tolerance, withdrawal, and neurochemical changes.

Learning Model of Addiction (Interaction Perspective)

A perspective explaining addiction as a behavior learned through exposure, reinforcement, associations, and social cues.

Overlap between Disease and Learning Models of Addiction

Both models interact and depend on each other. For example:

• The Disease Model (tolerance, withdrawal) requires prior exposure and reinforcement (Learning Model).
• The Social Learning Model (e.g., smoking relieves withdrawal symptoms) assumes the existence of withdrawal (Disease Model).

Most researchers now accept that both models interact, sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitly.

Tension-Reduction Hypothesis (Cappeli and Greeley, 1987)

A hypothesis suggesting that individuals engage in certain behaviors (e.g., substance use) to reduce psychological tension or stress.

Cognitive Attitudes

Objective beliefs or thoughts an individual holds about a subject or behavior.

Affective Attitudes

Subjective feelings or emotions an individual has about a subject or behavior.

Outcome Expectancies

Beliefs an individual holds about the effects of engaging in a particular behavior (e.g., "drinking will relax me"). These can influence the likelihood of engaging in risky behavior.

Negative Outcome Expectancies

Beliefs that engaging in a behavior will lead to negative consequences. Holding these beliefs typically reduces the risk of engaging in that behavior.

Positive Outcome Expectancies

Beliefs that engaging in a behavior will lead to positive consequences. Holding these beliefs typically increases the risk of engaging in that behavior or experiencing a lapse.

PRIME Theory (West, 2006)

A theory by Robert West (2006) that describes how five interacting elements—Plans, Responses, Impulses/Inhibitory Forces, Motives/desires, and Evaluations—influence human behavior, particularly in the context of addiction and self-regulation.

Plans (PRIME Theory)

Conscious decisions or strategies individuals make to achieve future goals or regulate their behavior.

Responses (PRIME Theory)

The actual behaviors or actions performed by an individual.

Impulses / Inhibitory Forces (PRIME Theory)

Short-lived urges to act (impulses) or to refrain from acting (inhibitory forces) that arise from associations with cues or internal states.

Motives / Desires (PRIME Theory)

Feelings of wanting or needing something that can drive behavior, often lasting longer than impulses.

Evaluations (PRIME Theory)

Beliefs or judgments about what is good/bad or right/wrong, which shape motives and plans.