psychological problems

• genetic explanation for addiction

  addiction, twin studies- shields found in 42 twins reared apart, 33 pairs were concordant with smoking

  A1 variant of the DRD2 gene- less dopamine receptors in reward area
• genetic explanation for depression

  Amish- found on chromosome 11

  twin studies- 46% concordance rates for MZ; 20% for DZ twins
• what is classical conditioning? (addiction)

  learning by association- some cues are linked with addictive behaviour e.g. specific peers/situations are ,inked with vaping
• what is operant conditioning? (addiction)

  learning by consequences- addictive behaviour is rewarding e.g. vaping helps an individual to relax
• what is social learning theory? (addiction)


  learning by observation and vicarious reinforcement- vape as individuals see their role models enjoying it
• what was the aim of Caspi's study on the role of 5HHT?

  to investigate why stressful life events seem to lead to depression in some people and not others
• what were the findings of Caspi's study on the role of 5TT?


  participants with a short version of the 5-HTT gene who experienced stressful life events were more likely to be diagnosed with depression
• how many participants were involved in Caspi's study?

  847 participants
• what was the conclusion on Caspi's study on the role of 5HTT?

  there is an interaction between life events and genetic influence to explain depression
• what are the strengths of Caspi's study?

  1. large sample of 847 participants increases the generalisability of the results
  2. standardised procedure- same two questionnaires were used with all participants which means it's easier to make comparisons between participants results and draw conclusions
• what were the weaknesses of Caspi's study?

  1. people may have lied on the questionnaire about the severity of their symptoms which reduces the validity of the findings
  2. ethical issues- distressing for participants if they discover they have the short version of the gene
• what was the aim of young's study?

  to investigate the effect of using CBT to treat a group of patients diagnosed with internet addiction