Characteristics of Addiction (AQA GCSE Psychology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8182
The difference between addiction & dependence
Addiction is a term that is not always used accurately in common parlance, e.g. "I'm so addicted to chocolate" - liking something a lot isn't the same as being addicted to it
Griffiths (2005) distinguishes addiction using salience
e.g. a keen gardener differs from an addict because for the addict, the activity has become the most important thing in their life, taking over interest in everything else, including work and family relationships
Griffiths also identifies dependence and substance abuse as prime defining characteristics of addiction
Dependence refers to a psychological reliance on a substance or behaviour
Dependence on a substance/behaviour does not necessarily mean addiction, rather it is one characteristic of addiction
On its own is not sufficient for it to be classed as an addiction
This dependence crosses into addiction when the person starts taking the substance or engaging in the behaviour for a sense of escape it gives the individual
Dependence is signalled by withdrawal symptoms when the substance/activity is stopped, which could include:
physical problems, e.g. headaches or difficulty sleeping
psychological problems, e.g. moodiness
The difference between substance misuse & abuse
The key difference between substance misuse and abuse is the person's intentions when using a substance
Both are potentially harmful
Misuse means not following the "rules" for usage, for example:
taking more of the substance than the recommended dose (e.g. taking too many sleeping pills to try to deal with sleeplessness)
stopping a medication too soon
using a drug for something other than its intended purpose, e.g. taking antidepressants to lose weight
Substance misuse becomes substance abuse when the user takes the substance in order to get a ‘hit’ from it i.e. feeling ‘high’
Substance abuse can be thought of as ‘self-medicating’ as it involves an individual ‘prescribing’ their own way of dealing with physical and/or psychological problems
The aim of self-medication is for the individual to feel better and to experience relief from the situation/stressor
Worked Example
Here is an example of a question you might be asked on this topic - for AO2.
AO2: You need to apply your knowledge and understanding, usually referring to the ‘stem’ in order to do so (the stem is the example given before the question)
A researcher conducted a survey into the number of people in one town from a sample of 80, who stated that they were dependent on alcohol. The results are shown below:
Dependent on alcohol | 24 |
Not dependent on alcohol | 56 |
Question: What is the ratio to its simplest form of people who said they were dependent on alcohol? Show your workings. [2]
Model answer:
The ratio of people dependent on alcohol is 24:80.
24:80 to its simplest form is 3:10 (24 and 80 are both divisible by 8).
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