Study Document
Psychology - Abnormal Psychology Biological Essay
Pages:2 (640 words)
Sources:3
Subject:Science
Topic:Abnormal Psychology
Document Type:Essay
Document:#3306633
Conversely, strict application of the biological components of addiction excludes equally strong evidence of the influence of external environment, particularly at critical stages of development. In that regard, there is a "cross-over" effect of food being strongly associated with reward or comfort in childhood and increased tendency to seek comfort from consumption of substances as an adult (Gerrig and Zimbardo 2005).
In general, repeated neurological responses to pleasure establish a reward mechanism in which the neurotransmitter dopamine is prominently featured. Addicts, in particular, exhibit stronger dopaminergic involvement in the reward loop and tend to experience greater corresponding increases in their subsequent need for continued dopaminergic stimulation than non-addicts, even after a single exposure to certain addictive substances (Dennet 1991). At the same time, addiction is also influenced by circumstances and behaviors: for one example, those addicted to nicotine often experience their greatest cravings when triggered by superficial associations between smoking and specific activities or circumstances with which smoking often coincided; for another example, many addicts experience relapse after exposure to some the ancillary activities with which they had previously associated with their illicit drug use, or in the case of alcoholics, social exposure to a barroom atmosphere (Brecher 1991).
Criminologists need consider primarily the external behavior, regardless of its origin; sociologists and psychologists, on the other hand, must consider both genetic predisposition to specific behaviors and responses as well as the complex interrelationship between biological tendencies and environmental influences capable of increasing or decreasing the relative behavioral prominence of various pre-existing inherent biologically-based tendencies.
References
Brecher, E. (1991). Licit & Illicit Drugs. New York: Little Brown & Co.
Coleman, J., Butcher, J., and Carson, R. (1994). Abnormal Psychology and Human Life. Dallas: Scott, Foresman & Co.
Dennet, D. (1991). Consciousness Explained. New York: Little Brown & Co.
Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2005).
Psychology and Life…
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Brecher, E. (1991). Licit & Illicit Drugs. New York: Little Brown & Co.
Coleman, J., Butcher, J., and Carson, R. (1994). Abnormal Psychology and Human Life. Dallas: Scott, Foresman & Co.
Dennet, D. (1991). Consciousness Explained. New York: Little Brown & Co.
Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2005).
Related Documents
Study Document
Psychology - Biological Psychology Biological
Important Theorists and their Contributions: Broca contributed greatly to the initial recognition of the importance of specific brain regions to particular aspects of human psychology and behavior in the middle of the 19th century. Shortly thereafter, William James published one of the first formal academic explanation of biopsychology just before the turn of the 20th century, titled the Principles of Psychology (Dennet, 1991; Pinker, 2002). James acknowledged that personal experience and
Study Document
Psychology Personality There Are Six Approaches for
Psychology Personality There are six approaches for studying the personality development of a person. Two of the most popular ones are the biological and humanistic approaches. The other four of these approaches include the trait, cognitive, behavioral and psychoanalytic. Each of these approaches are used to describe the system through we acquire our personality and factors that influence this personality development. The use of the approach is determined by the psychotherapist
Study Document
Psychology Is an Important Field of Study
Psychology is an important field of study mainly because it can be used to enhance the lives of people as it increases an individual's level of self-understanding, well-being, and quality of relationships. The main reason for the impact of psychology on people's lives is because this field focuses on describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling the mental and behavioral processes of an individual. As a broad field of study, the field
Study Document
Psychology of Adaptation Experimentation in Order to
Psychology of Adaptation Experimentation In order to understand the concept of adaptation in psychology, I conducted a number of experiments to demonstrate this theory in the "real" sensory world. First, I took a piece of very coarse sandpaper, the kind that is used to smooth down furniture before applying paint or varnish. The paper at first felt very uncomfortable as I rubbed it across my fingers. I rated this sensation of roughness initially
Study Document
Psychology Is Considered to Be an Area
Psychology is considered to be an area of study that involves behavior. Behavior is demonstrated in a lot of diverse areas in the field of psychology. Some of these examples are mental illness, relationships, sexuality, depression, family dynamics, or culture. Accepting of behavior is picked up by various techniques and it could be from society or changes in individuals or the overall population. Psychologists look at various factors such as
Study Document
Psychology First Developed As a Formal Discipline
Psychology first developed as a formal discipline in the late 19th century, even though its origins actually date back to ancient Greece (Wright, 2011, p.407). As philosophers began to probe the nature of the human mind, the theory of psychology and its overall acceptance in society began to evolve. As we look back at psychology's early beginnings, evidence of the emergence of several different schools of thought are revealed and