learning approach to smoking

• initiation of smoking and learning app:

  • through SLT - bandura
  • operant conditioning - skinner - through +/- reinforcement/punishment
  • classical conditioning - pavlov - association
• maintenance of smoking and learning app:

  • neg reinforcement - behaviour is reinforced by the removal of unpleasant experience.
  • classical conditioning - learn a paired association with nicotine and smoking
• relapse - learning and smoking

  • conditioned cues - can trigger cravings and feelings of needing to smoke by experiencing past things associated with smoking e.g the pub, friends etc
  • self efficacy - those with low SE will relapse quicker than those who have a higher SE.
• eval

  + evidence to support the use of conditioned cues - nicotine addicts do respond to cues which then lead to a relapse
• eval

  + there are practical benefits e.g aversion therapy - shows that there are real life benefits which can help to improve quality of life
• eval

  --cannot explain all nicotine addiction - found that many people who observe parents etc do not go on to smoke - only 50% of them go on to smoke and to become addicted - shows several causes of smoking initiation which is hard to explain by just ONE approach
• eval

  --self efficacy is not central to quitting and relapsing - has a small role in the risk of relapse but is still a relevant factor