Here are some activities to help you consider the difference between habit and addiction. You might be surprised how little difference there really is. There is also an on-line assessment you can try that will show your thinking about the nature of science.
You are probably familiar with the principles of animal training. If the animal responds to the stimulus properly, then they receive a reward. But what would it be like to ride inside the brain of an animal that is being trained? In this activity you get to explore what that might be like Š and compare your performance to an addicted individual.
The next question we should be asking is this: "What's going on that causes addiction?" Now you will learn the science at the level of cells, genes and molecules that will help answer this question. Part of the answer is "dopamine."
Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters involved with many types of addiction. Using this information, you are to evaluate the power of two different hypotheses: reward versus association.
Here is your opportunity to show how well you can apply everything that you've learned about addiction. Take your knowledge of dopamine, reward vs. association hypotheses, and your own experiences with habit-forming and apply it. Advise someone who has become addicted to nicotine about how to break the habit.
SCIENCE is the premier scientific research journal in North America. Our materials rely upon information published in SCIENCE, and we are proud of our association with this journal. The editors have granted us the unique privilege of including text and graphics from SCIENCE within this curriculum. What this means is that biology teachers and their students see how the latest scientific research
connects to what they are studying.
Addiction was once thought to be a sign of personal weakness. Scientists have shown that addicts do not simply lack the willpower to quit. Instead, addiction happens when chemicals highjack the brain and this unit explains how that happens.
