Social Influences on Addiction 1
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 17.1.9
Stress and Addiction
There are a number of risk factors, such as stress, peer pressure and personality, which could lead to addictive behaviour. Operant conditioning also explains why stress could lead to addictive behaviour.
Social influences
- Social influences are a key risk factor in the development of addiction.
- Social influences include factors such as:
- Stress
- Family influence
- Peer influence
Sinha (2007)
- Sinha (2007) imaged people’s brains to look at the relationship between drug addiction and stress.
- She found that similar areas of the brain (neural correlates) were highlighted during times of stress and during times of drug craving.
- This indicates that stress could make people vulnerable to addiction.
Causality
- But this does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, nor does it explain why there is a relationship between stress and addiction.
- There could be other causes which lead to altered brain function.
- Also consider the fact that drug addiction alters brain function, so that could explain the association.
- As well, altered brain function could lead to drug addiction.
Operant conditioning
- Operant conditioning (conditioning through reinforcement) could also explain why stress may make people susceptible to drug addiction.
- When people are stressed, they may look for a release in the form of a drug such as cigarettes or alcohol.
Positive reinforcement
- Both nicotine and alcohol are shown to relax people.
- So the relaxation is a positive reinforcement to get rid of stress.
- Subsequently, people will continue to drink or smoke if there are continued periods of stress.
Peer Pressure and Addiction
There have been three main studies which examined the role of the risk factors of peer influence and/or social isolation on addiction.
Peer pressure
- Peer influence is strongest during times of adolescence.
- Peer influence can lead to addictive behaviour.
- A longitudinal study that Martino et al. (2006) conducted found that if peers and parents were likely to approve of the use of alcohol, then adolescents were more likely to drink.
Martino et al. (2006)
- They examined the drinking habits and social factors that lead adolescents to drink.
- They concluded that social interaction with peers is an important factor in the development of drinking norms in adolescents.
Social isolation
- Two studies examined the effects of social isolation on addiction.
- They found that social isolation makes it unlikely that a person will develop addictions.
- But social isolation can cause other issues such as depression.
Shedler and Block (1990)
- Shedler and Block (1990) found that those who had not tried drugs tended to be more anxious, overly controlled by other people and socially isolated.
- The study was conducted on 18-year-olds.
Fergusson and Horwood (1999)
- Another study examined the drinking habits of 15 year olds.
- Fergusson and Horwood (1999) found that if the 15-year-old was socially isolated at the age of 10, they were less likely to have tried drugs or alcohol.
Test yourself on Social Influences on Addiction 1
What is NOT a risk factor that can lead to addictive behaviour?
What did Sinha (2007) NOT establish?
What is NOT a trait of 18-years-olds who have not tried drugs, according to Shedler and Block (1990)?