Addiction is a strong and harmful need to regularly take a substance or carry out a behaviour. Addiction is also called dependence.

Why does a person with an addiction continue despite harmful consequences?

The desire for the substance is so strong that it outweighs the harm. The person may also experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they stop.

What is the biological explanation of addiction?

The biological explanation says some people inherit a genetic vulnerability to addiction. Addiction is more likely to run in families as a result.

What does genetic vulnerability mean?

Genetic vulnerability means a person's genes make them more likely to develop a problem. The vulnerability does not make addiction certain, since the environment also plays a part.

AQA GCSE Psychology 8182

Memory

Topic overview Processes and types of memory The multi-store model of memory Primacy, recency and Murdock's serial position curve Reconstructive memory, Bartlett and factors affecting accuracy

Perception

Topic overview Sensation, perception and depth cues Gibson's direct theory of perception Visual illusions Gregory's constructivist theory of perception Perceptual set and factors affecting perception

Development

Topic overview Early brain development, nature and nurture Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development Piaget in education, naughty teddy and policeman doll studies Dweck's mindset theory, learning styles and Willingham

Research Methods

Topic overview Hypotheses and variables Sampling methods Experimental designs and types of experiment Interviews, questionnaires, case studies and observations Research procedures, reliability and validity Ethical issues in psychological research Types of data, calculations and averages Correlation, graphs and the normal distribution

Social Influence

Topic overview Conformity and Asch's study Obedience, agency theory and the authoritarian personality Bystander intervention and Piliavin's subway study Crowd and collective behaviour

Language, Thought and Communication

Topic overview Language, thought and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis Animal communication and von Frisch's bee study Non-verbal communication Explaining non-verbal behaviour: Darwin and Yuki

Brain and Neuropsychology

Topic overview The nervous system, fight or flight and the James-Lange theory Neurons, synaptic transmission and Hebb's theory Brain structure, localisation and Penfield's study Brain scanning, Tulving's gold memory study and brain damage

Psychological Problems

Topic overview An introduction to mental health Effects of mental health problems Clinical depression Explaining and treating depression Addiction Treating addiction

Psychological Problems

Addiction

3 things to know
Paper 2

Overview

Addiction and substance misuse, dependence syndrome, genetic vulnerability and Kaij's twin study, and peer influence as a psychological explanation.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is addiction?

Key term

How does addiction differ from substance misuse?

Key term

How does the ICD describe dependence syndrome?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is addiction?
Model answer
Addiction is a strong and harmful need to regularly take a substance or carry out a behaviour. Addiction is also called dependence.
2
How does addiction differ from substance misuse?
Model answer
Substance misuse is occasional or harmful use of a substance without dependence. Addiction involves a need for the substance that the person finds very hard to control.
3
How does the ICD describe dependence syndrome?
Model answer
The ICD describes a strong desire to use a substance despite harmful consequences. The person has difficulty controlling use and gives the substance a higher priority than other activities and obligations.
4
Why does a person with an addiction continue despite harmful consequences?
Model answer
The desire for the substance is so strong that it outweighs the harm. The person may also experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they stop.
5
What is the biological explanation of addiction?
Model answer
The biological explanation says some people inherit a genetic vulnerability to addiction. Addiction is more likely to run in families as a result.
6
What does genetic vulnerability mean?
Model answer
Genetic vulnerability means a person's genes make them more likely to develop a problem. The vulnerability does not make addiction certain, since the environment also plays a part.

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