learning approach to alcohol

• initiation

  • positive reinforcement- may be indirect or direct. - alcohol activates the brains reward system quickly which leads to dopamine being released rapidly.
  • neg reinforcement- some people drink to avoid their stressful lives- may watch people in films doing it and can be a strong motivator to start.
• maintenance

  • positive reinforcement- drinking provides ongoing rewards and makes drinking likely to be repeated. - soon then becomes an alcoholics source of reward as taking over life (salience)
  • neg reinforcement- drinking is maintained over time to avoid withdrawal symptoms - when drinking alcohol stops then withdrawal symptoms occur and they drink to remove the feelings.
• relapse

  negative reinforcement- drinking to avoid the feelings of life or withdrawal symptoms. - if stress is what caused drinking in the first place then it is likely that they have more of a reason to use alcohol to avoid stress due to withdrawal symptoms.
• eval

  + evidence to support neg reinforcement as an explanation of relapse. - drinking to relieve withdrawal symptoms is controlled by the amygdala, which becomes hyperactive during withdrawal and activating the HPA system. - suggests there is a biological explanation for relapse
• eval

  + there are several possibilities for treating alcoholism. - CERP forces drinkers to confront their consequences.
• eval

  -- evidence which suggests that dopamine is not critical to the effects of alcohol. - suggests that endorphins might play an important role
• eval

  -- operant conditioning cannot explain the transition from use to abuse of alcohol. - suggests there are other non-conditioning factors which are crucial in an alcohol addiction