Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA10491 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 28 Aug 2001 15:48:54 +0100 Message-ID: <3B8BAEDC.C39F3B14@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 15:46:52 +0100 From: Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk> Organization: University of Manchester X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Spoiled Reward-Pathway Hypothesis References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D310174605A@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Yes, perhaps. There does seem to be a strange gap though between
> the behaviour and induced physiological effect e.g. why does gambling
> trigger addictive behaviour in some but not others (whilst drug addiction,
> depending on the drug, I assume is a little more likely whatever the
> personality)? Perhaps it's something to do with the tuning of our
> risk-reward networks in our brains (making the assumption that there is such
> a thing, probably with a proper name...).
Addictive personalities have HUGE holes to fill in their self esteem
(been there...). Addictive-type activities are generally rewarding (the
buzz, not the money obviously), reassuring (familiarity through ritual
and predictability), and distracting (i.e. displaces other thoughts).
The more holes you have, the more you try to fill them. If your
personality can only function with this extra 'positive' input, you are
addicted. This model works because the addiction can be 'classically'
addictive (heroin) or 'psychologically' so (shopaholism, gambling), and
can be to anything.
There's also compulsive-obsessive stuff; that's related but slightly
different.
This is all nicely memetic in the ecological sense that I prefer -
anything that can do the job can do the job, and once integrated into
the personality, becomes part of the gestalt (with associated resident's
advantage).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Taylor (chris@bioinf.man.ac.uk)
http://bioinf.man.ac.uk/ »people»chris
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