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Ben is addicted to heroin - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 16 - 2017 - Paper 2
Question 16
Ben is addicted to heroin. His parents want to find out about the causes of heroin addiction. (a) Describe one biological explanation for heroin addiction. (b) Exp... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Ben is addicted to heroin - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 16 - 2017 - Paper 2
Step 1
Describe one biological explanation for heroin addiction.
Answer
One biological explanation for heroin addiction is the role of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly dopamine. Heroin interacts with the brain's opioid receptors, which leads to an increase in dopamine production. This increase creates feelings of euphoria and pleasure, reinforcing the behavior of drug use. Over time, the brain begins to rely on heroin to produce these feelings, leading to addiction as the individual seeks to replicate the euphoria.
Step 2
Explain one weakness of one biological explanation for heroin addiction.
Answer
One weakness of the biological explanation is that it does not take into account environmental factors that may contribute to addiction. For example, socio-economic status, availability of drugs, and personal relationships can significantly influence the likelihood of developing an addiction. Thus, solely attributing addiction to biological processes may oversimplify a complex issue, neglecting the interplay between biology and environmental influences.