Social Learning and Drinking Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What is a benefit of learning from others' experiences?

It increases the risk of harm.

It lowers the risk of harm. (correct)

It is only effective for pleasant experiences.

It only applies to drinking behaviours.

Why do first-time drinkers have their first drink?

Because they want to experience negative consequences.

Because they have seen others enjoying it. (correct)

Because they find the taste pleasant.

Because they have experienced the pleasant effects of alcohol.

What does modelling provide an alternative explanation for?

Why drinking is bad for your health.

Why people start drinking at a young age.

Why drinking behaviours seem to 'run in families'. (correct)

Why some people do not drink.

What is the focus of the cognitive model?

The way people interpret specific situations. Signup and view all the answers

What is a predictor of high-risk drinking?

Favourable attitudes towards drinking. Signup and view all the answers

What does operant learning have in common with modelling?

Both are ways in which people acquire favourable attitudes and expectations about drinking. Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for an individual to terminate their addictive behaviour?

They make a conscious decision that the costs outweigh the benefits Signup and view all the answers

What type of conditioning focuses on the association between cues and physiological responses?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

According to the operant conditioning model, what increases the likelihood of repeating a behaviour?

The immediate pleasure from the experience Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of negative reinforcement in the context of drug use?

Using drugs to remove anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What type of learning occurs through observing others?

Modelling Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the stimuli that elicit physiological and psychological responses in classical conditioning?

Conditioned stimuli (CS) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of social learning interventions?

Altering the individual's relationship with their environment Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a factor that increases the likelihood of substance use in adolescents?

Having parents who condone substance use Signup and view all the answers

What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

Planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and impulse control Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the brain when an individual is faced with immediate danger or intense emotions?

Flipping the lid occurs Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of alcohol and drug use on the brain?

It weakens the higher brain and strengthens the lower brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the brain stem?

Controlling basic functions critical to life Signup and view all the answers

What is the limbic system involved in?

Feeling pleasure, emotions, and impulses, as well as memory Signup and view all the answers

What motivates us to repeat behaviors that are critical to our existence?

Feeling pleasure Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the brain after substance use has ceased?

The impact of alcohol and drugs on brain function persists Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of frequent drug use on decision-making?

Impulsive decision-making based on memory, reward, and pleasure Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the cognitive-behavioural approach in treating substance use?

Modifying thoughts and behaviours through mindfulness and acceptance Signup and view all the answers

What is the main concept underlying the Expectancy Theory?

Self-efficacy and outcome expectancy Signup and view all the answers

Which approach targets psychological problems commonly comorbid with substance use, such as depression and anxiety?

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of motivational interviewing in substance use treatment?

Enhancing self-efficacy and motivation for change Signup and view all the answers

According to the Family and Systems Theory, what determines an individual's behaviour?

Their role within a system, such as family or peers Signup and view all the answers

Which approach emphasizes the importance of society as a whole in understanding substance use?

Family and systems theory Signup and view all the answers

What is the main objective of the Transtheoretical Approach in addressing substance use?

Increasing awareness of problems, consequences, and risks Signup and view all the answers

What is the key feature of Third Wave Psychotherapies in treating substance use?

Incorporation of mindfulness and acceptance strategies Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the psychoanalytic theory in regards to drug use?

The underlying psychological disorders that lead to substance misuse. Signup and view all the answers

According to Freudian psychoanalytic theory, what is the primary function of the ego?

To mediate between the id and superego and manage conflicts. Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of an anxious-avoidant insecure attachment style?

A fear of rejection and reluctance to trust others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the commonality among individuals with an ambivalent-avoidant insecure attachment style?

They have mixed feelings of closeness and discomfort with intimacy. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of an individual's id according to Freudian psychoanalytic theory?

It is focused on immediate gratification and operates based on the pleasure principle. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of 'self-medication' in the context of Freudian psychoanalytic theory?

The ego's role in managing conflicts between desires and moral standards. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary distinction between personality traits of alcoholics/drug users and the general population?

Alcoholics/drug users have distinct personality traits such as behavioural disinhibition and emotional negativity. Signup and view all the answers

What is the conclusion of research on the concept of an 'addictive personality' as a predisposing factor to addiction?

There is limited evidence supporting the concept of an 'addictive personality'. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Modelling provides an alternative explanation for why drinking behaviors seem to "run in families".
Modelling, like operant learning, is another way in which people acquire favourable attitudes and expectations about drinking, which are important predictors of high-risk drinking.
People can learn through observing others and experiencing the consequences of their actions.
Social learning interventions focus on altering the client's relationship with their environment.

Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioural Theory

Cognitive model: focuses on the thoughts/beliefs and their impact on behaviors and feelings.
The way people interpret specific situations influences feelings, motivations, and actions.
Behaviors are only terminated when the individual makes the decision that the costs of continued use are vastly greater than the benefits.
Example: Adolescents who view substance use in a positive light, whose peers use drugs, and whose parents and peers have attitudes that condone substance use are more likely to use substances (Ford, 2008).

Behavioural Theory

Only considers observable/measurable behavior.
Behavior is a consequence of learning.
Four main types of conditioning:
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Modelling
- Tension reduction

Classical Conditioning

Sights, smells, and sounds consistently associated with drug use elicit physiological and psychological responses that lead to drug-seeking behavior.
Conditioned stimuli (CS) - cues and triggers.
Conditioned response (CR) - physiological and psychological responses.
CS more important than CR.

Operant Conditioning

Focuses on the reinforcing properties of drugs and the likelihood of people repeating immediately pleasurable experiences (and avoiding unpleasurable experiences).
Three main reinforcement types:
- Positive reinforcement (e.g., drugs can cause pleasurable sensations)
- Negative reinforcement (e.g., use to remove aversive experiences)
- Punishment

Modelling

Much of what we learn is acquired through observing others.
The cerebral cortex (or higher brain) is divided into areas controlling specific functions and is the thinking center responsible for planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and impulse control.

Effects of Drug Use on the Brain

Flipping the lid demonstrates how drug use affects the brain, leaving the lower brain in control.
Flipping the lid occurs in response to immediate danger or intense emotions like anger and stress.
Alcohol and drug use weaken the higher brain and strengthen the lower brain, leading to impulsive decision-making based on memory, reward, and pleasure.
The impact of alcohol and drugs on brain function persists even after substance use has ceased, affecting decision-making and recovery.

Brain Function and Addiction

The brain stem (or base brain) controls basic functions critical to life, such as heart rate, breathing, and sleeping.
The limbic system (or lower brain) contains the brain's reward circuit, linking together brain structures that control and regulate our ability to feel pleasure, to feel emotions, and to have impulses as well as circuits involved in memory - especially memory involving emotion.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic theory holds that drug use is a sign of underlying psychological disorders.
This indicates severe psychopathology.
Psychological disorders are considered to cause substance misuse, but are not frequently identified as a result of use.
Addiction is considered a universal disorder.

Nature and Nurture

Psychoanalytic shared assumptions:
- Unconscious processes of the id, ego, and superego
- Attachment theory
- Personality and addiction

Attachment Theory

Attachment styles by Bowlby:
- Secure attachment style
- Ambivalent-avoidant insecure attachment style
- Anxious-avoidant insecure attachment style
- Disorganized-insecure attachment style

Personality and Addiction

Distinct personality characteristics of alcoholics/drug users:
- Limited evidence supports the concept of an 'addictive personality' as a predisposing factor.
- Personality predictors of drug use (e.g., McGue 1995; Rassool, 2011)
- Layers of beliefs - core beliefs / schemas
- Cycle of conflicting desires

Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches

Thoughts and behaviors can be 'unlearnt' through Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Incorporates Third Wave Psychotherapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention.

Motivation and Change Theories

Transtheoretical Approach:
- Increase client's awareness of problems, consequences, and risks to initiate behavior change.
- Motivational interviewing emphasizes intrinsic motivation for change.

Family and Systems Theory; Socio-Cultural

Determinants of behavior are based on an individual's role within a system.
Focuses on society as a whole and not just on individuals.
Family and other systems (e.g., peers) have a role in initiating and maintaining substance use.
The type of society in which people live has an impact on their drug use.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of social learning in relation to drinking behavior, highlighting the influence of peers and family on an individual's drinking habits.