Psychological Theories of Addiction.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: PSYC 101 ; and PSYC 407 or PSYC 410 . Enrollment is restricted to psychology majors (standard curriculum/all concentrations) and minors in psychology. An overview of current and historical theories related to the causes of and risk factors for problematic drug use and other addictive behaviors. Describes specific effects of different drugs of abuse and explores various behaviors (gambling, gaming, internet use) that have been identified as addictive in nature. Provides an understanding of the harms and costs associated with drug use and abuse, major approaches to understanding drug addiction (e.g., epidemiological, biological, genetic, behavioral, cognitive, transtheoretical/motivational, sociocultural, developmental), and the human experience of addiction. Introduces research methods used to generate knowledge about the causes of drug use and abuse.