soc 204 chapter 3
TRANSCRIPT
Goldberg Chapter 3
Motivations for Drug Use
7%
19%
22%
7%
44% A. Curiosity
B. Boredom
C. Escape
D. Social
E. Rebellion
We all do things we know we shouldn’t do. Why?
Characteristics of drugs can reinforce their use◦ Altered states of consciousness
Societal, community, and family factors play an important role in whether an individual tries a drug
Drug factors play an important role in whether an individual continues to use a drug
https://www.youe.com/watch?v=bWXR3AqZEO4tub
57%
43% A. All by yourself
B. With someone you hate
Experimentation:◦ Especially among young people, curiosity is a
natural phenomenon that easily leads to experimentation
Pleasure/Escape from Boredom:◦ An individual who is bored will engage in
something pleasurable to relieve the boredom◦ Drugs used to increase pleasure or reduce boredom
provide positive reinforcement◦ Drugs taken to alleviate discomfort provide
negative reinforcement
Peer Influence:◦ Many young people use drugs to gain peer
acceptance or approval
◦ Basic values, life goals, and aspirations still are influenced more by parents
Spiritual Purposes:◦ People have used drugs to communicate with
something or someone greater than themselves
◦ Psychoactive plants have roles in many religious and spiritual practices
Self-Discovery:◦ Drugs sometimes are used to fill a void in one’s life
Social Interaction:◦ Drugs are used to facilitate interactions with others
◦ Certain social groups determine how a drug is used
Rebelliousness:◦ Young people rebel against the conventions of
society, including warnings about drugs
https://www.youe.com/watch?v=bWXR3AqZEO4tub
◦ Community, parental, and peer attitudes and behaviors
◦ Antisocial/problem behaviors
◦ Poor school performance
◦ Perception that use is prevalent
◦ Involvement in religious activities
◦Commitment to school, involvement in extracurricular activities
◦ Perceived risk of drug use
◦ Parents as social support
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Addiction is a “chronic, life-threatening condition that has roots in genetic susceptibility, social circumstance and personal behavior”
No single theory adequately covers every aspect of drug addiction – elements of various theories provide insight into drug addiction
Delayed behavioral or emotional development may be a factor in substance abuse
Personality characteristics associated with drug abuse:◦ Low self-esteem◦ Poor interpersonal skills◦ Need for immediate gratification◦ Defiant feelings toward authority◦ Little tolerance for anxiety, frustration, and depression◦ Impulsivity◦ Risk taking◦ Low regard for personal health
A. Impulsivity
B. Lack of intelligence
C. Need for immediate gratification
D. DefianceIm
pulsivit
y
Lack
of i
ntelli
gence
Need for i
mm
ediate
grati.
..
Defiance
0% 3%0%
97%
Reinforcers are stimuli or events that increase the likelihood of a particular behavior
Primary reinforcers reduce physiological needs or are inherently pleasurable; examples are food, water, and sex
Secondary reinforcers act as signals for the increased probability of obtaining primary reinforcers; example: money
Drugs can be primary or secondary reinforcers
A. Things that reward us
B. Things that are correlated with drug use
C. Things that make a behavior more likely
Things t
hat reward
us
Things t
hat are
corr
elate
...
Things t
hat make
a b
eha...
45% 45%
10%
Biological theory is a view of addiction holding that it is based on genetics and metabolic imbalances
Genetic theory: a person is predisposed to drug addiction, including addiction to alcohol, by hereditary influence
Metabolic imbalance: Narcotics help addicts stabilize the metabolic deficiency caused by absence of the drug
A. The biology of the individual
B. Genetics
C. Metabolic imbalances
D. All of the above
The bio
logy
of t
he indivi
...
Genetics
Meta
bolic im
balance
s
All of t
he above
0%
93%
0%7%
Social theory is the hypothesis that drug use is determined by cultural and social influences
Rewards of drug use may be derived from groups and others with whom we associate
Drug abuse may arise from antisocial behavior
Social theory does not explain drug addiction
A. Attribute drug use to cultural and social influences
B. Explain the phenomenon of addiction
C. Discount the importance of family influence
Attrib
ute d
rug u
se to
cu...
Expla
in th
e phenom
enon ..
Discount t
he importa
nce ..
100%
0%0%
The impact of the media on drug use is hard to determine
Many forms of mass media feature drugs:◦ Movies◦ Advertisements◦ Billboards◦ Television◦ Music◦ Celebrities
1. Discuss what factors are most important in one’s decision to use or not use alcohol, tobacco, and/or illegal drugs.
2. Peers are cited frequently as an important influence on whether one uses drugs. At what age is the influence of peers most significant? Are males or females more affected by peer influence?
3. The depiction of alcohol use and smoking is prominent in movies, music videos, and television shows. Do you feel that alcohol use and smoking rates are affected by how alcohol and smoking are shown in videos? If yes, would you try to ban all alcohol and tobacco use in the media?