How do different approaches explain addiction, and how can addictive behaviour be modified or treated?
Addictive behaviour: explanations from the approaches (biological, learning/behaviourist, cognitive), the concept of addiction (dependence, tolerance, withdrawal), and methods of modifying behaviour (drug treatments, behavioural and cognitive interventions). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to addictive behaviour, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers what addiction is (dependence, tolerance, withdrawal), biological, learning and cognitive explanations, and methods of modifying it (drug, behavioural and cognitive treatments), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
Addictive behaviour is one of the six Component 3 behaviours (you study three). For each behaviour you must explain its causes using the approaches and describe at least one method of modifying or treating it, then evaluate and apply this. For addiction you need the concept of addiction, explanations, and treatments.
The answer
What addiction is
Explanations
Methods of modifying addiction
- Drug treatments. Replacement (nicotine patches), agonists or antagonists that block the rewarding effect, or drugs that ease withdrawal.
- Behavioural. Aversion therapy (pair the behaviour with an unpleasant stimulus) and covert sensitisation; cue exposure to extinguish conditioned cravings.
- Cognitive. CBT to challenge faulty beliefs, build coping skills and prevent relapse.
- Combined and social. Support groups and combined programmes that address biology, cognition and environment together.
Examples in context
Example 1. Why cues cause relapse. Through classical conditioning, environments linked to use (a pub, a particular friend) become conditioned stimuli that trigger craving even after quitting. This explains relapse and justifies cue-exposure treatment, applying the learning explanation to a real problem.
Example 2. The reductionism issue. A purely biological account ("addiction is a dopamine disease") can be reductionist, ignoring learning, cognition and social context. A strong Component 3 answer integrates approaches and treats the whole person, which is what the "implications in the real world" theme rewards.
Try this
Q1. Define tolerance and withdrawal. [2 marks]
- Cue. Tolerance is needing more of a substance to achieve the same effect; withdrawal is the unpleasant physical or psychological symptoms experienced when stopping.
Q2. Explain how operant conditioning maintains addiction. [3 marks]
- Cue. The pleasurable effect positively reinforces use, and relief from withdrawal symptoms negatively reinforces it, so the behaviour is repeated.
Q3. Name one method of modifying addictive behaviour and how it works. [2 marks]
- Cue. Aversion therapy pairs the addictive behaviour with an unpleasant stimulus so it becomes associated with an aversive response (or nicotine replacement eases withdrawal; or CBT challenges faulty beliefs).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 201910 marksDescribe two explanations of addictive behaviour. [10 marks]Show worked answer →
A description item testing explanations from the approaches (AO1).
Biological explanation: addiction has a physical basis. There may be a genetic predisposition (heritability shown in family and twin studies), and addictive substances and behaviours activate the brain's dopamine reward pathway, producing pleasure that reinforces use; tolerance and withdrawal reflect neuroadaptation.
Learning (behaviourist) explanation: addiction is learned. Operant conditioning: the pleasurable effect positively reinforces use, and relief from withdrawal negatively reinforces it. Classical conditioning: cues associated with use (places, people) become conditioned stimuli that trigger craving. Social learning: addiction can be modelled and imitated.
A cognitive explanation could also be used: faulty thinking and expectations (for example that a substance helps coping) maintain addiction.
Markers reward two clearly different, accurate explanations with mechanisms.
Eduqas 202112 marksDiscuss one method of modifying addictive behaviour. [12 marks]Show worked answer →
A discussion item (AO1 description plus AO3 evaluation) reaching a judgement.
A strong answer describes one method, for example aversion therapy (a behaviourist treatment that pairs the addictive behaviour with an unpleasant stimulus, such as a drug that induces nausea when alcohol is consumed, so the behaviour becomes associated with the aversive response and is avoided) or drug treatment (for example nicotine replacement, or antagonists that block the rewarding effect).
It then evaluates: effectiveness (some evidence of short-term success), but high relapse rates, the risk that it treats the behaviour not the cause, ethical concerns (aversion therapy is unpleasant), and the value of combining methods (for example behavioural plus cognitive plus social support).
It reaches a judgement: the method can help but works best as part of a combined programme that also addresses cognition and environment. Markers reward an accurate method plus balanced evaluation and a conclusion.
Related dot points
- Autistic spectrum behaviour: the features of autism, explanations from the approaches (biological/genetic, cognitive theory of mind and weak central coherence), and methods of supporting or modifying behaviour (behavioural and educational interventions). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to autistic spectrum behaviour, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers the features of autism, biological and cognitive explanations (theory of mind, weak central coherence), and methods of supporting behaviour (behavioural and educational interventions), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
- Bullying behaviour: the nature of bullying (including cyberbullying), explanations from the approaches (evolutionary/biological, learning/social learning, individual differences), and methods of reducing it (anti-bullying programmes and interventions). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to bullying behaviour, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers the nature of bullying and cyberbullying, evolutionary, social-learning and individual-differences explanations, and methods of reducing bullying (anti-bullying programmes), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
- Criminal behaviour: explanations from the approaches (biological/genetic and neural, learning/social, cognitive), and methods of modifying behaviour (treatment and rehabilitation, anger management, restorative justice). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to criminal behaviour, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers biological, learning and cognitive explanations of offending, and methods of modifying behaviour (rehabilitation, anger management, restorative justice), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
- Schizophrenia: symptoms (positive and negative), explanations from the approaches (biological - dopamine and genetics; psychological - cognitive and family), and methods of treatment (antipsychotic drugs and psychological therapies such as CBT). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to schizophrenia, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers positive and negative symptoms, biological explanations (the dopamine hypothesis, genetics) and psychological explanations, and treatments (antipsychotic drugs and CBT), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
- Stress: the body's stress response and the sources of stress, explanations and effects (the physiology of stress, life changes and daily hassles, workplace stress), and methods of managing stress (biological - drugs; psychological - CBT, biofeedback, stress inoculation). One of six Component 3 behaviours.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to stress, one of the six Component 3 behaviours. Covers the physiology of the stress response, sources of stress (life changes, daily hassles, work), the effects of stress, and methods of managing it (drugs, biofeedback, CBT and stress inoculation), with evaluation for the Implications in the Real World paper.
Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCE A Level in Psychology (A290) specification — Eduqas (2015)