Eduqas A Level Psychology Addictive Behaviours Exam Questions

About Eduqas A Level Psychology Addictive Behaviours

Addictive behaviours is one of six behaviours in Component 3, of which you study three. For each one Eduqas requires the characteristics, at least two biological, two individual differences and two social psychological explanations, and at least two methods of modifying the behaviour, all evaluated. For addiction this means genes, the disease model and dopamine; cognitive biases, field dependence and Lang's traits; co-morbidity, peers and the media; and substitution and aversion therapy. Examiners want accurate description followed by sustained evaluation, and they credit links to the approaches from Component 1, such as the behaviourist basis of aversion therapy.

What you need to know

• Characteristics Addiction involves compulsive use despite harm, tolerance (needing more for the same effect), withdrawal symptoms on stopping, and craving. It includes substances such as nicotine, alcohol and heroin, and behaviours such as gambling.
• Biological explanations Addiction genes: Blum et al. (1990) linked the A1 variant of the DRD2 dopamine receptor gene to alcoholism. The disease model sees addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder. Drugs and gambling raise dopamine in the mesolimbic reward pathway, so the behaviour is powerfully reinforced.
• Individual differences Cognitive biases such as the illusion of control and the gambler's fallacy keep gamblers playing. Field-dependent people rely on external cues and may be more vulnerable. Lang identified traits such as impulsivity, sensation seeking, nonconformity, social alienation and tolerance for deviance.
• Social psychological explanations Co-morbidity: addiction often occurs with depression, anxiety or schizophrenia, perhaps as self-medication. Peers model and reinforce use (social learning), and the media can glamorise drinking, smoking and gambling.
• Methods of modifying Agonist substitution replaces the drug with a safer one that acts on the same receptors (methadone for heroin, nicotine replacement). Antagonists such as naltrexone block receptors so the drug gives no reward. Aversion therapy pairs the drug with sickness, for example disulfiram with alcohol.
• Evaluation themes Genes increase vulnerability but do not determine addiction (diathesis-stress). Biological treatments reduce harm but may not tackle social and psychological causes, so relapse is common.

Common mistakes in Addictive Behaviours

• Saying methadone blocks the effects of heroin. Methadone is an agonist that activates opioid receptors more slowly; it is antagonists such as naltrexone that block them.
• Confusing tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance means needing more of the substance for the same effect; withdrawal is the unpleasant symptoms when use stops.
• Claiming there is a single 'addiction gene' that causes addiction. Genetic variants such as DRD2 A1 raise risk, but most carriers do not become addicted.
• Describing an explanation without evaluation in an essay. Each explanation needs research support, counter-evidence and issues such as reductionism or determinism.

Try three Addictive Behaviours exam-style questions