Component 3: Addictive behaviours — Eduqas A-Level Psychology

Addictive behaviours in Eduqas A-Level Psychology examines the biological, psychological and social explanations for why individuals become dependent on substances such as nicotine, alcohol and gambling, alongside the methods used to prevent and treat these dependencies. It draws on key models including the biological approach (dopamine reward pathways, genetics) and the cognitive-behavioural approach (classical and operant conditioning, faulty cognitions) to explain initiation, maintenance and relapse.

Component 3: Addictive behaviours is a core topic in the Eduqas A-Level Psychology specification. It explores the biological, psychological and social explanations for why individuals develop dependencies on substances such as nicotine, alcohol and gambling, and evaluates the methods used to prevent and treat these addictions. You will study key models including the biological approach (genetic vulnerability, dopamine reward pathways) and the cognitive-behavioural approach (classical and operant conditioning, faulty cognitions).

This topic matters because addiction has significant personal, social and economic consequences, and understanding its causes informs effective public health interventions. It also allows you to apply your knowledge of approaches (biological, behaviourist, cognitive) to a real-world context, which is a key skill in A-Level Psychology. The topic often appears in exam questions that require you to describe and evaluate explanations and treatments, so a strong grasp of research evidence and methodological critique is essential.

• →Biological explanations of addiction: genetic vulnerability (e.g. CHRNA5, CYP2A6 genes), dopamine reward pathway (VTA to nucleus accumbens), and the role of tolerance and withdrawal in maintaining dependence.
• →Psychological explanations: classical conditioning (cue reactivity), operant conditioning (positive and negative reinforcement), and cognitive biases in gambling (gambler's fallacy, illusion of control, near-miss effect).
• →Social explanations: peer influence, family environment, socio-economic status, and cultural norms as risk factors for initiation and maintenance of addictive behaviours.
• →Treatments: biological (nicotine replacement therapy, naltrexone, methadone), psychological (CBT, aversion therapy, covert sensitisation), and social (Gamblers Anonymous, support groups).
• →Key research studies: Griffiths (2005) on gambling cognitions, Ladouceur et al. (2001) on CBT for gambling, and Volkow et al. (2007) on dopamine and addiction.

• 💡Always use specific terminology from the specification, such as 'mesolimbic dopamine pathway', 'nucleus accumbens', 'gambler's fallacy', 'illusion of control', 'positive reinforcement', 'negative reinforcement', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal'. Vague language loses marks.
• 💡When evaluating, do not just list strengths and weaknesses. Link each point back to the question - e.g. explain why a methodological weakness (such as self-report bias) reduces the validity of the explanation or treatment being discussed.
• 💡For 10-mark questions, ensure you cover both description (AO1) and evaluation (AO3). A common mistake is to spend too long describing and not enough time evaluating, which limits you to a maximum of 6 marks.

• Students often think addiction is simply a lack of willpower. In fact, addiction involves biological changes in the brain (e.g. dopamine receptor downregulation) and psychological conditioning that make quitting extremely difficult, which is why treatments target these underlying mechanisms.
• Students frequently confuse positive and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is when a behaviour is strengthened by adding a pleasurable consequence (e.g. the 'high' from a drug). Negative reinforcement is when a behaviour is strengthened by removing an unpleasant consequence (e.g. taking a drug to relieve withdrawal symptoms). Both maintain addiction but through different mechanisms.
• Students may assume that genetic explanations mean addiction is inevitable. However, genes only create a predisposition (diathesis), and environmental factors (stress, availability, peer pressure) are necessary to trigger the actual behaviour. This is the diathesis-stress model.

1. 1Week 1, Days 1-2: Create a detailed mind map of biological, psychological and social explanations for addiction. Include key terms, brain structures, genes and conditioning processes. Use colour coding for each approach.
2. 2Week 1, Days 3-4: Learn the key research studies (e.g. Griffiths, 2005; Ladouceur et al., 2001; Volkow et al., 2007). For each study, note the aim, method, findings and one methodological criticism.
3. 3Week 1, Days 5-7: Practice writing 6-mark and 10-mark answers for explanations. Use the mark scheme to self-assess, focusing on using specific terminology and linking evaluation points back to the question.
4. 4Week 2, Days 1-3: Study treatments for addiction (biological, psychological, social). Create a comparison table showing the effectiveness, appropriateness and ethical issues of each treatment.
5. 5Week 2, Days 4-7: Complete timed exam questions under exam conditions. Review mark schemes carefully and create flashcards for any facts or terms you repeatedly forget. Use active recall and spaced repetition.

• 📋Describe and evaluate a biological explanation of addiction (e.g. genetic vulnerability or dopamine hypothesis). 10 marks. Advice: Ensure you describe the explanation in detail (AO1) and then evaluate with at least two strengths and two weaknesses (AO3), using research evidence.
• 📋Outline and evaluate one psychological treatment for gambling addiction (e.g. CBT). 10 marks. Advice: Describe the treatment accurately, then evaluate using evidence of effectiveness, methodological issues, and comparison with alternative treatments.
• 📋Explain how social factors may contribute to the initiation of nicotine addiction. 6 marks. Advice: Focus on specific social factors such as peer influence, family smoking, socio-economic status, and cultural norms. Link each factor to initiation, not just maintenance.
• 📋Using your knowledge of research methods, explain one limitation of a study into addictive behaviours. 4 marks. Advice: Identify a specific methodological issue (e.g. self-report bias, small sample, lack of generalisability) and explain how it affects the validity or reliability of the findings.