Addictive behaviour A01
❖ Clinical Characteristics: DSM-V classification, Mark Griffiths 6 criteria,
Glenn Walters 4 P’s
❖ Biological Explanations: Dopamine theory→ role of genes
❖ Individual Differences Explanations: Eysenck’s theory of personality→
cognitive biases
❖ Social Psychological Explanations: Peer influence→ role of the media
❖ Methods of Modifying Behaviour: agonist and antagonist
substitution→ aversion therapy
Clinical Characteristics
Meaning: Addictions can occur to substances like alcohol but can also occur to behaviours like
gambling etc. However, it can have many negative consequences for the individual, their family
and the wider community.
DSM-V
This is the American manual used to define mental health disorders. DSM-V includes gambling
disorders in a new category of behavioural addiction. Internet gambling is also included under a
special section encompassing disorders that need further research.
Mark Griffiths 6 Criterias:
He suggests there are 6 criterias that need to be met for a behaviour to be considered an
addiction.
➔ Salience→ refers to when the particular activity becomes the most important activity in
the addict’s life and dominates their thinking, feelings and behaviour
➔ Mood modification→ refers to the subjective experience that people report as
a consequence of engaging in the particular activity. The person’s drug or
activity can have the capacity to achieve different mood modifying effects of
different times
➔ Tolerance→ refers to the process whereby increasing amounts of the activity
are required to achieve the former effects
➔ Withdrawal symptoms→ refers to the unpleasant feelings, states or physical
effects that occur when the activity is discontinues
➔ Conflict→ refers to conflict between the addict and those around them.
➔ Relapse→ refers to the tendency for repeated reversions to earlier patterns of
the activity to recur
Glenn Walters 4 ‘P’s
, He created characteristics of addiction known as the 4 ‘P’s.
➔ Preoccupation→ when the addict is engrossed by their addictive stimulus
➔ Persistence→ continuing the engage in the addictive stimulus despite difficulty
➔ Progression→ continuing to engage in the addictive stimulus more as
tolerance increases
➔ Perceived→ where the addict feels like they have lost control when in fact
they may not have
Biological Explanations: Dopamine
In order: Mesolimbic pathway, tolerance and withdrawal, role of the frontal cortex
Mesolimbic pathway
The mesolimbic pathway runs from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens. This is often referred to
as the reward pathway. The mesolimbic pathway is activated whenever we engage in an activity
that’s rewarding. This creates pleasurab;e feelings that make us want to do it again as
dopamine is released. Many drugs and other behaviours like gambling also cause these reward
centres to activate and create pleasurable feelings that are rewarding and reinforcing. As time
goes on, and through repeated usage, the level of drug needed to elicit the reaction becomes
greater.
Tolerance and withdrawal
Addictive drugs can release 2 to 10 times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do. In a
person that becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. Volkow et al shows that
in users of cocaine, there was a reduction in both the numbers of D2 receptors in the brain and
the relapse of dopamine. Therefore, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward centre.
People who develop an addiction may have to take more of the desired substance to obtain the
same dopamine ‘high’. Griffiths described this as ‘tolerance’.
Role of frontal cortex
More complex processes are involved in maintaining the addiction and causing relapse. Volkow
et al suggests that although the dopamine reward pathway is the starting point for an addiction
to develop, it’s the changes that occur in the frontal cortex that turn it into an addiction. Addictive
behaviours can change the brain circuits that usually decide what to focus on. Robinson and
Berridge says that the dopamine system plays the role of making the individual want to engage
in the behaviour rather than making them like it.
Biological Explanations: Role of genes
In order: D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2), ADH and ALDH genes
D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2)
❖ Clinical Characteristics: DSM-V classification, Mark Griffiths 6 criteria,
Glenn Walters 4 P’s
❖ Biological Explanations: Dopamine theory→ role of genes
❖ Individual Differences Explanations: Eysenck’s theory of personality→
cognitive biases
❖ Social Psychological Explanations: Peer influence→ role of the media
❖ Methods of Modifying Behaviour: agonist and antagonist
substitution→ aversion therapy
Clinical Characteristics
Meaning: Addictions can occur to substances like alcohol but can also occur to behaviours like
gambling etc. However, it can have many negative consequences for the individual, their family
and the wider community.
DSM-V
This is the American manual used to define mental health disorders. DSM-V includes gambling
disorders in a new category of behavioural addiction. Internet gambling is also included under a
special section encompassing disorders that need further research.
Mark Griffiths 6 Criterias:
He suggests there are 6 criterias that need to be met for a behaviour to be considered an
addiction.
➔ Salience→ refers to when the particular activity becomes the most important activity in
the addict’s life and dominates their thinking, feelings and behaviour
➔ Mood modification→ refers to the subjective experience that people report as
a consequence of engaging in the particular activity. The person’s drug or
activity can have the capacity to achieve different mood modifying effects of
different times
➔ Tolerance→ refers to the process whereby increasing amounts of the activity
are required to achieve the former effects
➔ Withdrawal symptoms→ refers to the unpleasant feelings, states or physical
effects that occur when the activity is discontinues
➔ Conflict→ refers to conflict between the addict and those around them.
➔ Relapse→ refers to the tendency for repeated reversions to earlier patterns of
the activity to recur
Glenn Walters 4 ‘P’s
, He created characteristics of addiction known as the 4 ‘P’s.
➔ Preoccupation→ when the addict is engrossed by their addictive stimulus
➔ Persistence→ continuing the engage in the addictive stimulus despite difficulty
➔ Progression→ continuing to engage in the addictive stimulus more as
tolerance increases
➔ Perceived→ where the addict feels like they have lost control when in fact
they may not have
Biological Explanations: Dopamine
In order: Mesolimbic pathway, tolerance and withdrawal, role of the frontal cortex
Mesolimbic pathway
The mesolimbic pathway runs from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens. This is often referred to
as the reward pathway. The mesolimbic pathway is activated whenever we engage in an activity
that’s rewarding. This creates pleasurab;e feelings that make us want to do it again as
dopamine is released. Many drugs and other behaviours like gambling also cause these reward
centres to activate and create pleasurable feelings that are rewarding and reinforcing. As time
goes on, and through repeated usage, the level of drug needed to elicit the reaction becomes
greater.
Tolerance and withdrawal
Addictive drugs can release 2 to 10 times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do. In a
person that becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. Volkow et al shows that
in users of cocaine, there was a reduction in both the numbers of D2 receptors in the brain and
the relapse of dopamine. Therefore, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward centre.
People who develop an addiction may have to take more of the desired substance to obtain the
same dopamine ‘high’. Griffiths described this as ‘tolerance’.
Role of frontal cortex
More complex processes are involved in maintaining the addiction and causing relapse. Volkow
et al suggests that although the dopamine reward pathway is the starting point for an addiction
to develop, it’s the changes that occur in the frontal cortex that turn it into an addiction. Addictive
behaviours can change the brain circuits that usually decide what to focus on. Robinson and
Berridge says that the dopamine system plays the role of making the individual want to engage
in the behaviour rather than making them like it.
Biological Explanations: Role of genes
In order: D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2), ADH and ALDH genes
D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2)
