Unit 5 (E):
Drugs and
Consciousness
Mr. McCormick
A.P. Psychology
Psychoactive Drugs
 Psychoactive Drug:
 A chemical substance that alters perceptions
and moods
Dependence and Addiction
 Tolerance:
 The diminishing effect
with regular use of
the same dose of a
drug
 Requires the user to
take larger and larger
doses before
experiencing the
drug’s effect
Dependence and Addiction
 Withdrawal:
 The discomfort and distress that follow
discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
 Dependence:
 The need for a drug to relieve physical pain or
discomfort (physical dependence) or negative
thoughts and emotions (psychological
dependence)
Dependence and Addiction
 Addiction:
 Compulsive drug craving and use, despite
adverse consequences
How Likely is Addiction?
 The likelihood of becoming addicted varies
among different drugs:
 Marijuana:
 9%
 Alcohol:
 15%
 Heroin:
 23%
 Tobacco:
 32%
Psychoactive Drugs
 Psychoactive drugs are divided
into three main groups:
 Depressants
 Stimulants
 Hallucinogens
Depressants
 Depressants:
 Drugs that reduce
neural activity and slow
body functions
 Types of depressants:
 Alcohol
 Barbiturates
 Opiates
Depressants: Alcohol
What are
some factors
that influence people
to abuse alcohol?
Stimulants
 Stimulants:
 Drugs that excite neural
activity and speed up body
functions
 Types of stimulants:
 Caffeine
 Nicotine
 Cocaine
 Ecstasy (MDMA)
 Amphetamines
 Methamphetamines
Stimulants: Nicotine
What are
some factors
that influence people
to smoke cigarettes?
Why Do People Smoke?
1. People smoke because it is socially rewarding.
2. Smoking is also a result of genetic factors.
Why Do People Smoke?
3. Nicotine takes away
unpleasant cravings
(negative
reinforcement) by
triggering
epinephrine,
norepinephrine,
dopamine, and
endorphins.
4. Nicotine itself is
rewarding (positive
reinforcement).
Stimulants:
The Effects of Methamphetamines
Hallucinogens
 Hallucinogens:
 Psychedelic (“mindmanifesting”) drugs that
distort perceptions and
evoke sensory images in the
absence of sensory input
 Types of hallucinogens:
 LSD (Lysergic Acid
Diethylamide)
 THC (Delta-9Tetrahydrocannabinol)
Near-Death Experiences
 Hallucinogens often
produce a bright light in
the center of the field of
vision
 People who have neardeath experiences often
report similar perceptions
Types of Psychoactive Drugs
Influences on Drug Use
The graph below shows the percentage of US highschool seniors reporting their use of alcohol,
marijuana, and cocaine from the 70s to the late 90s.
Influences on Drug Use
The use of drugs is based on biological,
psychological, and social-cultural influences.
Experience with Addiction
 Do you know of anyone who
was able to overcome an
addiction?
 What steps did they take to
overcome this?
Key Principles of Change
 1. The belief that one can change
 2. Type of treatment is not as important as one’s
commitment to change
 3. Duration of treatment is not as important as one’s
focus and continued efforts to change
 4. Life skills can be instrumental in overcoming addiction
 5. Repeated efforts to change
 6. Improvement without abstinence counts; all movement
in the “right direction” should be accepted and rewarded
Review
 What is a psychoactive drug?
 What does it mean to develop tolerance to a
drug?
 Differentiate between physical dependence
and psychological dependence of a drug.
 Discuss the characteristics of the following types
of drugs:
 Depressants
 Stimulants
 Hallucinogens
Homework
 Unit 5 Test: “States of Consciousness”
 Chapter 7 Outline: “Learning”