Alcoholism: A Learning Experience through Classical, Operant Conditioning, and Cognitive-Social Learning
The Possible Alcohol Learning Experience
Introduction
Alcohol addiction, one of the most challenging and misunderstood behaviors, is often viewed through the lens of the disease or medical model. However, a different perspective emerges when we consider alcohol abuse within the framework of learning. While alcohol addiction presents a complex social and psychological problem, its roots can be traced back to learning processes such as operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and social learning models. To fully comprehend the intricacies of alcohol abuse, it is crucial to understand the distinctions between these learning models.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning refers to behaviors that are influenced by external stimuli. The behaviors learned through operant conditioning are shaped by psychological forces such as reinforcements, rewards, and punishments. According to Skinner, reinforcements serve as motivators that increase the likelihood of certain behaviors being repeated. Skinner distinguished two forms of reinforcement: positive and negative (Chiesa, 2004). There is a common misconception that the terms ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ in this context mean ‘punishment’ and ‘reward’. In reality, positive reinforcement strengthens behavior by applying a specific outcome when a desired behavior is performed, such as praise or reward. Conversely, negative reinforcement strengthens behavior by removing or avoiding an outcome, which could include lack of praise or lack of reward. It’s important to clarify that punishment is often mistakenly seen as negative reinforcement. However, punishment is actually considered a detractor from reinforcement.
Within this conceptual framework of operant conditioning, it’s possible to see how this learning model might inadvertently contribute to alcohol abuse behavior. Alcohol abuse can be viewed as a learned behavior in that the individual caught in the behavioral process is prone to associating the stimulus (e.g., work performance) with some form of positive reinforcement (drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, etc.). The effect of alcohol can be seen as a positive reinforcement in that it makes the person feel good. However, this idea is illusory in that the effect of the alcohol (the positive reinforcement) becomes the dominant drive rather than a specific learned behavior or task completion. An alcoholic might say that they are drinking because they had a great day at work and performed their job well, and they are celebrating with a drink. This becomes the positive reinforcement for good work performance. However, over time, the effect of alcohol, instead of reinforcing the good performance behavior, becomes the driving force for the person. The same person might reward themselves with alcohol for a good job but at the same time drink because they lost their job. The behavior at this point has become an addiction because the person has conditioned themselves to drink in response to multiple stimuli or circumstances.
Classical Conditioning
In the same manner that operant conditioning can contribute to alcohol abuse, classical conditioning can also play a significant role. Classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning involves pairing an involuntary response (for example, salivation) that is usually evoked by one stimulus with a different, formerly neutral stimulus (such as a bell or a touch on the leg).
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Pavlov’s experiments illustrate the four basic elements of classical conditioning:
- The unconditioned stimulus, such as food, which prompts a reaction of salivation when presented to a dog.
- The salivation reaction, which is the unconditioned response and always results from the unconditioned stimulus. Thus, the dog salivates whenever food is presented.
- The neutral stimulus, the ringing bell, which is called the conditioned stimulus. (This is sounded whenever food is going to be presented.)
- The frequent pairing of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus produces the conditioned response. (The dog salivates when the bell is sounded.)
Within the Pavlovian framework, one might learn to abuse alcohol through conditioning. For instance, one might develop a reliance on alcohol for socialization. This could occur if they met a new lover or good friend while they were drinking. The feeling of elation from meeting this person translates to drinking because the person associates drinking with meeting the new friend or lover. This is a complex learning process which many people misinterpret. Classical conditioning involves a neutral stimulus to truly be referred to as classical conditioning. In this case, meeting the new lover or friend is the neutral stimulus, and the person has learned to abuse alcohol because they associate it with meeting new people or the good feeling derived from the socialization process. This strikes at the heart of how alcohol abuse can be created. However, there is also a built-in response or process which can help to reduce this type of learning. This process is known as extinction.
Extinction
In classical conditioning, extinction refers to a process in which the learned response is weakened by presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus. In the context of alcohol abuse, a person might experience extinction of the learned behavior by gradually being exposed to social situations without drinking. This process helps the person realize that the perceived need to drink is unfounded. Although it can be a slow process, it can be successful in eliminating the classically conditioned response to alcohol.
It’s important to note that extinction also occurs within operant conditioning when a stimulus is no longer associated with reinforcement. In the case of alcohol abuse, if alcohol is removed as the reinforcement, the negative behaviors associated with alcohol will also cease.
Cognitive-Social Learning
Cognitive-Social Learning offers another learning model that can help explain alcohol abuse. This model suggests that new behaviors are learned through observing the actions and inactions of others. These observations extend beyond first-hand experiences and encompass media, which presents a multitude of different learning experiences. While the cognitive-social model is based on observation, it still takes into account the reward and punishment aspects of behavior. The reception of the behavior by others helps determine whether the observer will model the behavior.
In the context of alcohol abuse, an individual might learn to abuse alcohol by observing family members or peer groups. For instance, a teenager observing the popular kids at school drinking on a Saturday night might be motivated to model this behavior in the hope of gaining popularity. Similarly, parents who abuse alcohol in front of their children may inadvertently create a behavior that can be modeled, especially if the children do not perceive any negative impact from the parents’ drinking.
The extinction of this behavior can also be achieved by changing the person’s observational models. This could be done either intentionally by the person or through indirect action. For example, a person wishing to stop abusing alcohol might start socializing with people who do not drink and begin modeling their behaviors. This might also explain why groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous can sometimes be effective. Merely associating with a group of people who no longer drink might provide new behaviors to model.
Alcoholism As a Behavioral Problem
By understanding these learning processes, individuals who abuse alcohol can be helped to eliminate the learned behavior from their lives. This can be achieved through the process of extinction, which can be incorporated into cognitive behavioral therapy. This includes recognizing triggers and understanding the situations that condition responses. Merely understanding the different learning processes can assist a person tremendously by providing insight into why he or she is persisting in these behaviors. The true benefit of understanding these learning models may yet help healthcare professionals in their resolve to help people recover from addictive behaviors.
