SOC 204 Chapter 3

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?