Undergraduate degree Psychology (The psychology of addictive behaviour) Mind Map on Reducing addictive behaviour, created by Brendan Williams on 05/26/2014.
Behavioural beliefs - individuals views on the
behaviour and the outcomes of their actions - alcohol
pleasurable & relaxing, can cause a hangover
Subjective norms - what we think
others view of the behaviour is -
family/friends view on alcohol
Perceived behavioural control - the
level of control an individual believes
they have over their own behaviour
TPB too critical, does not
consider emotions - behaviour
may be in response to a
negative situation
Topa et al - other factors
such as peer groups
influences addictive behavior
Intention of behaviour - made up of behavioural beliefs,
subjective norms & perceived behavioural control - combined
with actual behavioural control to produce behaviour
Preventing addictive behaviour
Changing behvaioural attitudes - US
drug campaign said success was due to
creating a change in attitude to drug use
TPB does not consider the difference between
intention (plans for the future) & expectation
(likelihood of performing behaviour)
Changing subjective norms - giving
accurate statistical information on
drug use can correct subjective norm
Armitage & Conner - meta-analysis
found TPB successful in predicting
intention to change than actual change
Explains formation of intention,
not formation of behaviour
Godin et al - perceived behavioural
control most important predictor
Shows there are two different parts to addictive behaviour
- motivational phase formation of intention, & post decisional
phase initiation and maintenance of behaviour
Self efficacy - belief in one's own ability to
complete tasks and reach goals, greater self
efficacy - increase chance of behavioural change
Webb et al - internet
interventions based on
TPB most successful
White et al - examined sun protection
intentions of Australian young people.
TPB predictors significant predictors
of actual sun protection behaviour
TPB does not consider motivation
Klag - addicts more likely
to quit addiction if stopping
is their own idea
Attitudes & intentions normally
measured sober, risky behaviour
actually performed under the
influence of drugs/alcohol
MacDonald et al - increased intention for unprotected sex &
risk behaviours in intoxicated individuals - alcohol decreases
cognitive ability, only obvious characteristics attended to
Types of intervention
Biological interventions
Methadone - used for heroin addicts,
similar compound to heroin mimicking
effects but less addictive. Given slowly
decreasing doses to improve tolerance
Addicts can become
dependent on methodone
Methadone use controversial -
300 related deaths & use is
unsupervised leading to
black-market selling
Alternative treatment, the use of Narcotic
antagonists NATs - blocking the effects of
opiates removing the euphoria felt
Aversion drugs such as disulfiram used to
provide sickness when combined with alcohol
Smith et al - 12 months after
6 months of treatment many
individuals had relapsed
NRT - used to reduce the symptoms of cigarette
withdrawal, nicotine still provided. Reduces
stress, withdrawal & curbs nicotine cravings
Nicotine patches desensitise nicotine
receptors as it's released slowly,
some relapse because of this
Bupropion - antidepressant
increasing dopamine levels in
the brain reducing nicotine
receptors & removing cravings
Hollander et al - SSRIs used to treat gamblers
showed improvement compared to control
Naltrexone (dopamine
antagonist) decreases
rewarding effects of gambling
Hollander study only 10 individuals.
Blanco et al - 32 gamblers over 6 months
had no improvement against placebo
Psychological interventions
Contingency management - rewarding
individuals for not engaging in behaviour
based on ideas of operant conditioning
Sindelar et al - methadone treatment
individuals in 2 groups. One rewarded for
negative drug tests. At the end, reward
group had 60% more negative tests
Does not treat the root of the addictive
behaviour. Another addiction may be
substituted in place of the original
CBT - used to alter the fault cognitions that lead to addiction
Ladoucer et a - 66 pathological gamblers either in treatment group or waiting list. 86%
treatment group no longer pathological gamblers & had increased self efficacy
Relapse prevented by identifying
times of relapse risk, coping
techniques taught to prevent relapse
Motivational interviewing used to give client information on problems of
dependence & advantages of abstinence provoking contradictory argument.
Client then made to give reasons for wanting to change behaviour
In vivo desensitisation - associating
feelings of boredom with addiction -
taking gamblers to a casino & only
standing for an extended time period
No single psychological
intervention better than the
other, further improvement
when including drug treatment
Public health interventions
Intervention projects such as NIDA
used to intervene in the cycle of
personal & social drug use
Crits-Christoph et al - NIDA lead to
decrease in cocaine use - also caused
decrease in associated behaviours
(unprotected sex) reduce in HIV
Telephone smoking quitlines -
Stead et al 50% more effective
than self help material alone
Multiple
callbacks most
effective method
Boos & Croft - increase
in smoking in military
personnel abroad
Beckham et al - quitline,
counselling & NRT highly
effective in US veterans
Workplace interventions - smoking ban can decrease
behaviour - all employees in it together, offering emotional
support - may only lead to increase in home smoking
Australian workplace
smoking ban - only 2%
stopped completely
Government interventions - banning/restricting
goods/advertising and increasing prices by tax
Public cigarette smoking
banned in 2007, advertising
before than, high tax to put
off smoking behaviour
Alcohol advertising banned from
being linked to sexual performance
or consumption appear attractive -
adverts usually comedy
Preventing youth gambling - Messerlian et al
- prevention model using denormalisation,
protection & prevention principles. Attempt to
avert at risk use from pathological behaviour
Gupta - problem gambling in adolescence
can lead to strained relationships, criminal
behaviour, depression & suicide
Clinicians illusion -
addictions thought to be
hard to treat as most treated
have advanced issues