4 – smoking and gambling addictions bats ao1 - describe explanations for smoking and gambling...

4 – Smoking and Gambling Addictions

• BATs

• AO1 - Describe explanations for smoking and gambling (E/C)

• AO2/3– Evaluate explanations for smoking and gambling (C/A)

• Synoptic Aspects- biological, cognitive and learning approaches, gender bias, methodology – blind-design, Homework – Plan and write essay - Discuss Psychological explanations of two or more types of addiction (9marks + 16 marks) see p245 Complete Companion .

What makes people smoke?

Royal College of Physicians (1997) – 117,400 of total 628,000 deaths in GB could be attributed to smoking

– how many people killed by smoking, on average…

• per week?

• each day?

• each hour?

2,300

329

14

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/?WT.mc_id=search&gclid=CKTW6d3Rip0CFUYA4wodAEaf1w

Exploring Psychology A2 – Folens ‘09

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/?WT.mc_id=search&gclid=CKTW6d3Rip0CFUYA4wodAEaf1w

What makes people smoke?

Take it in turns to read out the quotes about the effects of smoking

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressreleases/2009/july/motivation-to-smoke - motivation for smoking

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressreleases/2009/july/motivation-to-smoke

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressreleases/2009/july/motivation-to-smoke

DSM-IVTR Characteristics of smoking addictions

• Look at the DSM criteria for Substance Abuse.

• Which criteria do not apply even to heavy smokers?

• Which criteria are most helpful in diagnosing nicotine dependence?

DSM-IVTR Characteristics of smoking and gambling addictions

• Look at the DSM criteria for Gambling.• Think back to the video ‘Sunshine’.• How many of the criteria did ‘Bing’ show?• Would he be classed as a Pathological

Gambler?www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/

Biological Approach to Smoking

• In the 2006 GHS survey, dependence was reported to be greater in heavier smokers

• Craving - Thirty-six per cent of the heavy smokers had their first cigarette within five minutes of waking.

• These 2 points can be explained by the Biological Approach…..


Biological Approach to Smoking

• Nicotine is rapidly broken down by enzymes in the liver and removed from the bloodstream.

• The dependent user needs to smoke frequently to satisfy their craving and avoid withdrawal.

• The fall in blood-nicotine level overnight (approximately 2.5 nanograms/ml) means that sometimes two cigarettes in quick succession are needed to raise the blood-nicotine level enough to feel comfortable (that is, to approximately 20–40 nanograms/ml).


Beck’s cognitive explanationof addiction….

• Can be applied to the problems experienced by a dependent smoker. Dysfunctional beliefs could include expectations that:

• they need a cigarette• cigarettes help them with cognitive functioning• a cigarette will provide an immediate sensation of pleasure• cigarettes have a stimulant effect• cigarettes help to calm nerves• cigarettes help to reduce appetite• without a cigarette, craving will worsen.

• A dependent smoker may therefore be unable to abstain because their distorted thinking makes them believe that they cannot. Remember the vicious circle?!!


Learning Approach to Smoking Addiction

• For new or infrequent smokers, nicotine is positively reinforcing: it produces a ‘rush’ - one of the reasons for initiation of smoking as well as its maintenance in the early stages of addiction.

• Sufficiently reinforcing to outweigh the unpleasant effects that nicotine has, e.g.

stimulating the brain’s ‘vomit centre’.



• Monkeys, dogs, rats and mice, have been shown to self-administer nicotine.

• A monkey will press a lever for nicotine in a Skinner box almost as often as to receive cocaine (Goldberg et al., 1981).

• Dogs who learned to press a pedal, would give several hundred responses to get a single injection of nicotine (Risner et al., 1983).

• Studies such as these demonstrate the powerful reinforcing properties of nicotine.



• Over continued use, unpleasant effects such as nausea and vomiting disappear but so too does the positively reinforcing ‘rush’.

• Instead, smoking in dependent users is maintained by negative reinforcement.

• The rapid breakdown of nicotine by the liver means that smokers need to smoke frequently to maintain a high enough blood-nicotine level to avoid craving and withdrawal symptoms.


Biological Approach to Gambling

• The British Gambling Prevalence Survey (2007) gave questionnaires to over 9000 people aged 16 and above.

• The findings show that approximately 68 per cent of the population – about 32 million adults – participate in some kind of gambling.

• The most popular forms of gambling were:• The National Lottery (57 per cent)• scratchcards (20 per cent)• betting on horse races (17 per cent)• slot machines (14 per cent).

The DSMIV screening in 2007 found that the rate of problem gambling in the adult population was about 0.6 per cent (about 284,000adults in Britain)



• Kim (1998) has found biochemical evidence that suggests gambling may activate the brain’s reward system

• Kim & Grant (2001) tested naltrexone (an opioid antagonistic) as a treatment for pathological gamblers and found that it was effective.

• It reduced the intensity of urges to gamble, thoughts about gambling and actual gambling behaviour when given in sufficiently high doses.



• Eisen et al. (2001) investigated pathological gambling in twins and found they were similar in the occurrence and severity of gambling

problems.• Pathological gambling also co-occurred with

alcohol misuse. • This supports both the genetic and physiological

aspects of the biological approach to explaining gambling addiction.



• One explanation for the genetic link with gambling is that pathological gamblers, like people with other addictions, have certain personality traits which predispose them to risk-taking.

• Zuckerman (1979) proposed the personality characteristic of ‘sensation-seeking’.

• Other studies suggest high levels of impulsivity are associated with gambling addiction Exploring Psychology A2 – Folens ‘09

Cognitive Approach to Gambling Addiction

• Gambler’s dysfunctional thinking distorts their perception of their own skills and luck, as well of the skill of others.

• They hold superstitious beliefs and tend to interpret and remember situations in a biased way (eg Joukhador et al., 2003, and Ariyabuddhiphongs & Phengphol, 2008)

• Cognitive distortions lead pathological gamblers to take greater risks and persist with gambling for longer.


Cognitive Approach to Gambling Addiction

• Wohl et al. (2007) tested 82 young adult gamblers for symptoms of pathological gambling, perception of dispositional luck (belief that they were ‘lucky’) and enjoyment of gambling.

• PPts were divided into recreational gamblers and disordered gamblers.

• The latter group enjoyed gambling more and saw themselves as more lucky –

• This illustrates another cognitive bias in high-risk gamblers.


Learning Approach to Gambling Addiction

• Custer (1984) suggested that the difference between those who go on to become problem gamblers and those who

do not lies in their initial experiences with gambling.

• An early winning streak and big win might predispose individuals to addiction• Tested by Christopher (1988) using

pigeons in a Skinner box.



• Tested by Christopher (1988) using pigeons in a Skinner box.

• ‘gamblers’ disc’ -when this lit up food rewards were variable – with occasional ‘big wins’ eg 15s access to the tray.



• This simulated a novice gambler’s experience of ‘getting lucky’.

• When given the choice to work for regular food or choose the gambler’s disc they chose the latter.

• They had become addicted to gambling!!!



• (Weatherly et al., 2004) test to see if early wins were important in triggering addiction

• Participants playing on a computer-simulated slot machine

• The game outcomes were fixed, with different groups experiencing:

• a big win on the first game

• a big win on the fifth game

• two small wins, on the second and fifth games

• no wins.

Which group should stick at the game for longest?



• The first group should persist with playing longer than the others.

• Weatherly et al. found instead that this group quit playing earlier than the participants who did not win until game five.

• This resistance to extinction when rewards are intermittent is consistent with a simple learning theory explanation.


How can each Approach explain addiction to smoking and

gambling?• Split up into 2 groups• Each group to choose either smoking or

gambling• Create a display, worksheet or powerpoint

to show how each approach can help explain smoking and gambling addiction

• Delegate jobs to each member of the group e.g one focuses on Biological approach, one cognitive e.t.c

Summary

• Complete the summary sheet to highlight how each approach can help explain smoking and gambling addictions

• What synoptic points can you find relating to this?

Homework – Plan and write essay - Discuss Psychological explanations of two or more types of addiction (9marks + 16 marks) see p245 Complete Companion .

You can start planning this essay now. Ask for help if

necessary

(a) Outline one cognitive explanation of addictive behaviour. (5 marks)(b) Apply this model to smoking as an addiction. (10 marks)(c) Apply this model to gambling as an addiction. (10 marks)Total = 25 marks

You might prefer to do this one!

4 – smoking and gambling addictions bats ao1 - describe explanations for smoking and gambling...

Documents

smoking slide

smoking nicotine

initiation of smoking

effects of smoking http

cigarette cigarettes

dsm criteria

psychology a2 folens

biological approach