personality

• Hans Eysenck developed - Resource Model of Addiction

  > A - develops because it fulfils needs relating to personality profile

  > people use A as resource / tool to manage / fulfil aspects of their personality
• > Number of studies carried out to investigate ROP in A

  } Gossop + Sybil Eysenck

  compared personality of 200+ drug addicts and control

  used EPQ and looked for common patterns in scores

  addicts - scored highly = psychoticism, neuroticism and lower extraversion and lie scores
• PSYCHOTICISM

  >key trait - impulsivity = imp person - more likely = engage in risky b without considering consequences

  } Dalley - imp rats = higher cocaine intake than low imp rats

  } Stevens - imp individuals = less successful in treatment programmes as - more likely to drop out + less likely to achieve abstinence

  traits = impulsive, impatient, aggressive

  difficulty controlling actions and inability to resist
• NEUROTICISM

  > NP = more susceptible to stress > use AB to overcome this

  > self medicate to deal with anxiety > seen in initiation of AB

  > R shows RO stress in A relapse > ppl = highly neurotic - harder to stop engaging as the stress they experiences causes them to re-engage to cope with emotions

  > trait = low self esteem - use AB to escape self awareness, avoid negative feelings and gain confidence

  > traits = anxious, moody, irritable
• EXTROVERSION / INTROVERSION

  > ev - link between low extroversion scores and A

  > sug introverts (high) - more likely to be addicts = reserved and unsociable > engage to increase sociability

  > relationships between e/i and A = unclear > depends on type of A being investigated:

  • G+E - drug A + low extroversion (other R - little support)
  • Blaszczynski et al (85) - replicated > little different in extroversion scores in gambling A and control
• EXTROVERSION / INTROVERSION

  } high extroversion

  >traits = sociable, outgoing, lively

  > more likely to engage in AB through social situations > lead - chemical hook

  > use to fuel sociability

  > carefree, willing to take risks
• EXTROVERSION / INTROVERSION

  } low extroversion > introversion

  > traits = reserved, unsociable, quiet

  > won't form connections with people > form with addictive substances instead

  > AB substitute for socialising

  > use AB > increase sociability and confidence