Discuss current research on the genetic/biological, social, and cultural factors related to alcoholism. Which factors appear most strongly related to the development and progression of the disorder?
What will be an ideal response?
Sample Answer: Alcohol is thought to have an anxiolytic effect as a result of its effects on the septal/hippocampal system, which includes a large number of GABA-sensitive neurons. Studies of the sons of alcoholics suggest that there may be a genetic predisposition to being less sensitive to alcohol when it is first ingested and then less sensitive to its effects over time, meaning that the euphoric effects take precedence. Alcoholics and their sons also tend to show altered brain-wave activity, although it is not clear whether this pattern is connected to the reasons people become alcohol dependent or a sign of some other similarity. Alcohol may also enable people to cope with stress or anxiety, and so becomes a negative reinforce; people who experience stress or abuse are at risk for increased drinking. People's expectancies about how a drug such as alcohol can affect their response to the substance and their tendency to use or abuse the drug. Cultural guidelines influence people's definitions of what is acceptable regarding substance use, how such use is linked to daily activities and social events, and may affect the social and legal consequences of such drinking.
You might also like to view...
Behavioral momentum compliance training is a type of
a. stimulus control. b. participant modeling. c. shaping. d. prompting.
Intervention to deal with occupational stress includes
a. the individual level, organizational level, and individual organizational interface. b. the individual level, family level, and organizational level. c. the individual level, the coworker level, and the family level. d. the individual level, the coworker level, and the organizational level.
The thyroid gland first begins to produce its hormone, thyroxine, to influence
a. early brain growth and bone growth. b. muscular growth and bone growth. c. the adolescent growth spurt. d. maturation of female reproductive organs.
Rapid low-amplitude brain waves that have been linked to feelings of relaxation are known as ________ waves
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word