There is a difficulty establishing a cause and effect relationship between personality and addiction, as it is mainly correlational. personality tests are usually given to an individual after their addiction has started.it may be that the addiction has made individuals more impulsive and stressed, not the other way around.
Opposing evidence to no cause and effect relationship Dong et al al
A prospective study in a Chineese university - students were given an EPQ just after entering the uni, and two years later their addiction to the internet was assessed. Found that those with high P & N scores were linked to addiction and prospective study establishes a cause and effect relationship
It is a reductionist explanation of addiction
Widely admitted that the “addictive personality” does not exist. Kerr states that this is a myth because the traits in the “addictive personality“ are common for a lot of people nit just addicts. So it would be more appropriate that the “addictive personality‘ is just a set of traits that make individuals more prone to addiction.
however this explanation is less reductionist than others
Considers both nature and nurture as Eysenck suggested that personality has A biological basis. Link between impulsivity and dopamine activity in the Brain
application to method of modification
personality may give a scope for interventions to be put in place in the treatment and prevention of addiction. individuals with high psychotisism may be give cognitive skills training to help them manage impulsive behaviour. and those with high evils of neuroticism may be given counselling to help them cope better with low self esteem.
