AQA A Level Psychology
AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.10 Addiction Exam Questions
Free AQA A Level Psychology exam questions for 3.3.10 Addiction, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers dependence, tolerance and withdrawal, risk factors, nicotine and gambling addiction, reducing addiction and models of behaviour change.
3.3.10 Addiction exam questions
6 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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A-Level Psychology Flashcards for 2027 Onwards
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About AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.10 Addiction
Addiction is an Option 3 topic on AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options. It defines addiction through physical and psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal, and considers risk factors such as genetic vulnerability, stress, personality, family influences and peers. You study biological and learning explanations of nicotine addiction, learning and cognitive explanations of gambling addiction, and methods of reducing addiction including drug therapy, behavioural interventions and CBT. You also apply the theory of planned behaviour and Prochaska's six-stage model to addictive behaviour. The topic links to Biopsychology, learning approaches and the cognitive approach, and is useful for free will and determinism evaluation.
What you need to know
- Describing addiction Physical dependence involves withdrawal symptoms when the substance is stopped; psychological dependence is a compulsion to use the substance for its pleasurable effects. Tolerance means a larger dose is needed for the same effect; withdrawal syndrome is the set of unpleasant effects on stopping.
- Risk factors Genetic vulnerability, stress, personality, family influences and peers all increase the risk of addiction.
- Nicotine addiction The brain neurochemistry explanation says nicotine binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the ventral tegmental area, triggering dopamine release. Learning theory adds cue reactivity, where cues associated with smoking become secondary reinforcers through classical conditioning.
- Gambling addiction Learning theory emphasises partial and variable reinforcement schedules, which make behaviour resistant to extinction. Cognitive theory emphasises cognitive biases such as the illusion of control; Griffiths (1994) found regular fruit machine gamblers made more irrational verbalisations than non-regular gamblers.
- Reducing addiction Drug therapy includes nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline; behavioural interventions include aversion therapy and covert sensitisation; CBT targets faulty thinking and builds coping skills.
- Behaviour change The theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen) involves attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Prochaska's six-stage model runs from precontemplation, contemplation, preparation and action to maintenance and termination.
Common mistakes in 3.3.10 Addiction
- Confusing tolerance with withdrawal; tolerance is a reduced response to the same dose, withdrawal is symptoms after stopping.
- Saying nicotine increases dopamine directly; it acts on nicotinic receptors which then trigger dopamine release.
- Describing variable reinforcement as rarely reinforcing; it means rewards come after an unpredictable number of responses, making behaviour persistent.
- Mixing up aversion therapy and covert sensitisation; covert sensitisation uses imagined unpleasant consequences rather than real ones.
- Leaving out perceived behavioural control when describing the theory of planned behaviour.
Try three 3.3.10 Addiction exam-style questions
1. Explain the difference between physical dependence and psychological dependence. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Physical dependence is when a person needs to take a substance to avoid physical withdrawal symptoms; for example nausea or shaking when stopping; psychological dependence is a compulsion to take the substance because of its pleasurable effects; it may involve cravings even without physical withdrawal symptoms.
2. Outline learning theory as an explanation of gambling addiction. (6 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Gambling is initiated and maintained by operant conditioning; positive reinforcement through winning money and the buzz of gambling; partial and variable ratio reinforcement schedules mean wins come unpredictably; behaviour reinforced on a variable schedule is highly resistant to extinction; near misses can also be reinforcing; cue reactivity means gambling cues such as sounds and lights trigger arousal through classical conditioning.
3. Outline Prochaska's six-stage model of behaviour change. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Precontemplation, where the person does not intend to change; contemplation, where they are considering change within six months; preparation, where they plan to change soon; action, where they have changed recently; maintenance, where change has been sustained and relapse is avoided; termination, where there is no temptation to relapse.
3.3.10 Addiction FAQs
What does AQA A Level Psychology Addiction cover?
It covers physical and psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal, risk factors, explanations of nicotine and gambling addiction, drug therapy, behavioural interventions and CBT, and the theory of planned behaviour and Prochaska's six-stage model.
Which paper is Addiction examined in?
Addiction is an option in Section D (Option 3) of AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options in Psychology.
Which study is most useful for gambling addiction?
Griffiths (1994) is the key study for the cognitive explanation, showing regular fruit machine players produced more irrational verbalisations and overestimated their skill compared with non-regular players.
