Learning Approach – Social Learning Theory
- Observe role models taking drugs e.g. celebrity in media
- Identify with the role model – want to do the same
- Become motivated to take drugs and be like their role model
- Start imitating their role model’s behaviour of taking drugs which would lead to addiction
Parents and peers
- Present for children and adolescents to observe – likely to command attention
- Opportunities for imitation
- High status
- Vicarious reinforcement
- Young impressionable people are seeing examples of people drinking alcohol – soap operas
Boon & Lomore 2001
- 75% of young adults reported having a strong attachment to a celebrity
- 39% of these said their idols affected their attitudes and beliefs
Winett et al 1989
- High status people exert a stronger influence on behaviour than low status people
Gunsekera et al
- Drug use was positively portrayed in film media providing a source of vicarious reinforcement
- 2 effects could combine to produce highly effective role models
Atkin & Block
- Exposure to TV advertising for alcohol has been linked to teenagers’ consumption to alcohol
Biological Approach – Neurochemicals
- Drugs alter the availability of one or more neurotransmitters
- Drugs affect mood and behaviour e.g. depressant drugs slow down the brain’s activity – makes transmission of messages between neurones less effective
- Drugs are chemicals and work in the brain to provide a pleasure reaction and for some drugs, an addiction reaction
- Drugs act like other neurotransmitters – released by an electrical impulse – crosses synaptic gap to fit with receptors of a neurone
- Can prevent the reuptake of a neurotransmitter which means neural transmission is blocked
- A drug can be taken up by the relevant receptors of a neurone
- Mimic the neurotransmitter (agonist)- may increase the frequency of nerve impulses e.g. heroin acts by mimicking the attachment of either an endorphin or heroin molecule to a receptor – inhibits the release of GABA
- GABA serves to prevent dopamine release, the effect of heroin is to facilitate the release of dopamine
- A drug can block the receptors (antagonist) so that the neurotransmitters cannot fit into them – drug molecule is a similar shape to the neurotransmitter and will fit into the receptor site
- Neurotransmitter is prevented from attaching so they can stimulate the post synaptic neurone so the frequency of nerve impulses is reduced e.g. heroin blocks the site so GABA cannot bind and dopamine goes up
- Repeated use of any drug has the potential to alter chemical balances in the brain