Addiction
UNIT 4: PSYA4
lcb@beauchamp.org.uk
Content
The Psychology of Addictive Behaviour
Models of
Addictive
Behaviour

Biological, cognitive and learning approaches to
explaining initiation, maintenance and relapse, and
their applications to smoking and gambling.
Vulnerability to
Addiction

Risk factors in the development of addiction, including
stress, peers, age and personality.
Media influences on addictive behaviour.

Reducing
Addictive
Behaviour


The theory of planned behaviour as a model for
addiction prevention.
Types of intervention and their effectiveness, including
biological, psychological and public health interventions.
Cognitive Approach
 Cognition is thinking.
 Cognitive models emphasize the processes
that control mental functions.
 The cognitive model suggests that people
initiate and maintain addictive behaviour,
and relapse into that behaviour because of
the way that they think and interpret
information.
Basic principles of the cognitive
approach
 Addictive behaviour is due to faulty thought
processes and irrational cognitive biases.
 All individuals are equally susceptible to developing
an addictive behaviour.
 Individuals are most susceptible to addiction during
the maintenance phase.
Cognitive explanations of addiction
1. Coping – mood regulation, performance
enhancement and distraction.
2. Expectancies – what we expect to happen
from addictive behaviour (costs/benefits).
3. Self-efficacy - Our beliefs in ourselves and
whether we believe that we are capable of
dealing with the effects of the addictive
behaviour.
Beck et al (2001) – ‘Vicious circle’
Low mood (depression)
Addictive behaviour
Financial/Medical/Social
problems
A low mood can be relieved by engaging in the addictive
behaviour. However this can lead to financial, social or
medical problems which in turn lead to low mood.
Cognitive approach to smoking
addiction
 Read the initiation stage of smoking addiction
according to the cognitive approach.
 Highlight the key terms.
 Read the study to support the initiation stage and
explain why it supports the cognitive approach.
 Q&A.
Cognitive approach to smoking
addiction
 Read the maintenance stage of smoking
addiction according to the cognitive approach.
 Highlight the key terms.
 Draw a visual representation of Beck et al’s ‘vicious
circle’ for the maintenance of smoking.
 Q&A.
Cognitive approach to smoking
addiction
 Read the relapse stage of smoking addiction
according to the cognitive approach.
 Highlight the key terms.
 Read the study to support the relapse stage and
explain why it supports the cognitive approach.
 Q&A.
Cognitive approach to gambling
addiction
 Read the initiation and maintenance stages of
gambling addiction according to the cognitive
approach.
 Highlight the key terms.
 Summarise the maintenance explanation in
your booklets.
 Q&A.
Cognitive approach to gambling
addiction
 Read the relapse stage of gambling addiction
according to the cognitive approach.
 Highlight the key terms.
 Complete the gap fill of key study (Griffiths, 1994).
 Q&A.
Independent task
 Read the study in your booklet by Toneatto
(1999).
 Be ready for Q&A!!!
Evaluation of cognitive approach
Can explain individual differences.
People may engage in same activity but addiction
only occurs in some people.
Cognitive explanations account for these differences –
those who develop faulty cognitive biases may
be more likely to develop an addiction!!!
Evaluation of cognitive approach
Problems of cause and effect.
It has been suggestion that psychological symptoms
(i.e. depression) come before addictive behaviour.
However it could be that the medical/social/financial
costs of the addictive behaviour led to the
depression.
In other words, which came first???
Evaluation of cognitive approach
Implications for treatment.
Evidence that there is more than one motivation for addictive
behaviours, therefore should be differing approaches to their
treatment.
E.g. if self-medicating addicts, more beneficial to treat
underlying problem first before attempting to get them to
quit the addiction.
If addiction due to irrational beliefs then maybe cognitive
therapy would be more appropriate in the hope to correct the
cognitive errors.
Exam focus
 Complete the gap fill activity in your booklet –
model exam answer for cognitive approach to
smoking addiction.
 Write a model answer for the past-exam question
in your booklet – ‘Outline the cognitive
explanation of gambling addiction’ – 5 marks!!!
Consolidation task
 Complete the gap fill overview of the three
approaches to addictive behaviour.
 Q&A!
Plenary: Pair task
 Read the case study on Katie and, on
lined paper, discuss and make notes on
how each approach would explain
Katie’s addictive behaviour.
 10 minutes then class feedback!!!
Homework
 Essay structure – June 2012 – Cognitive
approach and gambling – 10 marks.
 Summary table of addiction.