SOC 204 Drugs & Society

Goldberg Chapter 3Motivations for Drug Use

What do you think the most common reason for drug use is?

0%

33%

37%

0%

30% A. CuriosityB. BoredomC. EscapeD. SocialE. 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

Motivations

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

Reasons for Drug Use

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

Reasons for Drug Use

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

Reasons for Drug Use

◦Community, parental, and peer attitudes and behaviors

◦Antisocial/problem behaviors

◦Poor school performance

◦Perception that use is prevalent

Risk Factors

◦Involvement in religious activities

◦Commitment to school, involvement in extracurricular activities

◦Perceived risk of drug use

◦Parents as social support

Protective Factors

Perceived Risk/Availability

Spiral of Psychological Addiction

Psychological Addiction

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

Theories of 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

Personality Theory

Personality traits associated with drug use do not include:

A. ImpulsivityB. Lack of

intelligenceC. Need for

immediate gratification

D. DefianceIm

pulsivit

y

Lack

of inte

lligence

Need for im

mediate gr

ati...

Defiance

3% 3%3%

90%

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

Reinforcement Theory

Reinforcers are:

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 that a

re corre

late...

Things that m

ake a beha...

10%

83%

7%

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

Biological Theories

Biological theories consider these factors:

A. The biology of the individual

B. GeneticsC. Metabolic

imbalancesD. All of the above

The biology of t

he indivi

...Genetics

Meta

bolic im

balances

All of t

he above

3%

97%

0%0%

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

Social Theories

Social theories:

A. Attribute drug use to cultural and social influences

B. Explain the phenomenon of addiction

C. Discount the importance of family influence

Attribute dru

g use

to cu

...

Explain th

e phenomenon ..

Discount t

he importa

nce ..

89%

0%11%

Are you:

A. MaleB. Female

Male

Female

48%52%

Thursday: Are you in favor of drug testing employees?

0%

33%

7%

59% A. YesB. NoC. In some situationsD. I don’t really know

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

Media Influence

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?

Small Groups