Explanations for Nicotine Addiction: Learning Theory

What type of operant conditioning and reinforcement are involved?

Positive and negative reinforcement.

How does positive reinforcement explain nicotine addiction?

Nicotine’s effect on dopamine reward system in mesolimbic pathway. It stimulates release of dopamine causing mild euphoria which is the reward of smoking.

How does negative reinforcement explain nicotine addiction?

The addict wants to get rid of withdrawal syndrome symptoms and smoking/nicotine gets rid of these. It stops an unpleasant stimulus.

What is cue reactivity?

Cravings are triggered when an addict encounters cues related to smoking. They produce a similar physiological and psychological response to actual smoking.

What are the types of reinforcers?

• Primary - smoking

• Secondary - other cues

What are some examples of cues?

• The environment someone smokes

• The people someone smokes with

• Specific items like lighters

What are the 3 elements of cue reactivity?

• Subjective craving which is self reported

• Physiological signs of reactivity like autonomic responses

• Objective behavioural indicators like how many draws of a cigarette

Strengths

• Research support - Levin studies rats who could lick 2 water spouts. One had an intravenous dose of nicotine and the rats licked that one more and increased over 24 sessions

• Research support (cues) - Carter and Tiffany meta analysis found that when smokers were presented with images associated with smoking cravings and physiological arousal was reported

• Real world application - treatments based on classical conditioning like aversion therapy. Smith’s study with smokers and electric shocks where after a year 52% were still abstaining