Describe + evaluate 1 social psych exp of addiction (10)

• Para 1: social learning explains how media influences addiction

  • P: One social psychological explanation for addiction is the role of the media, including Social Learning Theory (SLT), which suggests people learn behaviours like smoking or drinking through observation and imitation of role models in the media.

  • E: when these behaviours are shown as glamorous or without consequences - such as in films or celebrity culture - they can become vicariously reinforced.

  • E: for instance, Gunasekera et Al. (2005) found that addictive behaviours like smoking and alcohol use were frequently shown positively in top movies, without showing negative consequences. This encourages viewers, especially adolescents, to imitate those behaviours, believing they lead to social success or popularity.

  • L: therefore, the media acts as a powerful source of indirect reinforcement, influencing the likelihood of addictive behaviours developing.
• Para 2: media effects are supported by not always causal

  • P: a key strength of this explanation is experimental support showing a causal link.

  • E: Pechmann & Shih (1999) demonstrated that people who viewed a film with smoking reported more positive attitudes to smoking than those who watched an edited version.

  • E: this suggests the media can directly influence behaviour, supporting SLT. However, many studies are correlational, like Hanewinkel et Al. (2014) who found that teens exposed to alcohol in films were more likely to drink a year later. These findings are important but cannot rule out other influences like peer or parental behaviours.

  • L: Moreover, Atkinson et Al. (2011) found that many adolescents are aware of media exaggeration and report peers and parents as stronger influences, suggesting media may play a role but is not the sole factor in developing addiction.
• Conclusion

  In conclusion, the role of the media provides a credible explanation of how addiction may develop through media exposure, especially when behaviours are positively reinforced. However, its influence may be overstated, and other social factors likely play a significant role in real-life addiction outcomes.