Psychology of Addiction

(2.5-3.5 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

PS 3444 A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to Addiction at TCD; Drug addiction can exert powerful influences over human behaviour with inordinate amounts of time devoted to drug seeking and taking and often at great expense to the addicted individual's personal, family and economic life. This course will focus on what is known about the cognitive and emotional processes involved in addiction with an emphasis on the neurobiology of these processes. The course will review research on a number of drugs of abuse (cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, alcohol and nicotine) and will address relevant theoretical issues (e.g., is cannabis a "stepping-stone" drug?) as well as describe current treatments for dependence. The scope will also be broadened to address other addictive behaviours (e.g., food addictions and gambling).