Introduction
Decision-making is the psychological process resulting in selecting a particular course of action or a belief, among other possible alternatives. The purpose of studying how drug users make decisions is to identify possible ways to help them reduce drug consumption and stop using them completely.
The participants in this study are the drug users and the researchers who are trying to gain the knowledge. For a study to be successful, it has to be done on more than one specimen, where in this case it’s the drug users. The decisions are the dependent variables, while the drug users are the independent variables in this study.
The results will be an important milestone towards the efforts made to curb drug use by encouraging drug users to quit taking them. This research is important because it can help people struggling with drug use to stop eventually. Since people behave differently and react to drugs, a con of this study is that it can be applied successfully to help all drug users. Below is a detailed report on the decision making of drug users.
The cognitive phenomena
Addiction to drugs is a relapsing chronic brain disorder marked by harmful effects in crucial areas of life and obsessive drug-seeking. Decision-making deficiencies in substance-dependent persons (SDI) are widespread, both in life and laboratory, expressed by impaired judgment and carelessness of the repercussions of their decisions.
In humans, the anterior insula in the right brain hemisphere appears to integrate initial experiences into higher-level subjective feelings. Interoception provides a homeostatic function by exciting the individual when there is a suboptimal body’s motivational and physiological approach or avoidance action in restoring equilibrium (Verdejo-Garcia et al., 2022).
Visceral hunger emotions, for example, may lead to decisions to get and consume food when it is available in the environment, just as visceral drug-seeking experiences may lead to decisions to obtain and use drugs when they are available (Ahn et al., 2014). Such impacts can happen whether or not someone is aware of them—Decision-making and the motivational and emotional states that support and influence decisions may benefit from interoception.
Disrupted interoception influences maladaptive decision-making by drug users. Changes in early peripheral physiological signals, primary awareness of these signals, or the interpretation and integration of interoceptive data into the brain may occur in drug users. Disruptions may take the shape of increased or decreased function at each level. Drug self-administration is reduced in rodents when insula function is disrupted.
Acutely abused drugs generate physiological changes that result in acute and, in many cases, pleasant visceral sensations (Carpenter et al., 2015). Physiological changes, such as rapid changes in neurotransmission, lead to medications’ different subjective effects.
Verdejo-Garcia et al. (2022), study relates with Carpenter et al. (2015) study by explaining that drug addicted people have deficits in memory, executive functions and attention. Ahn et al. (2014) study uses computational modelling to understand the decision-making process of substance-dependent users.
Methods Used to investigate the Decision-making process of drug users
Substance misuse is a complicated problem that must be handled from various scientific perspectives, each with its own limitations and contributions. Adequate knowledge of the difficulties necessitates integrating social, psychological, neurological, and genetic knowledge. Even within a single discipline perspective, for example, in psychology, many elements must be considered, including psychopathology, personality, cognitive and motivational processes, and all aspects of psychopathology.
The intricacy of this psychiatric condition emphasizes the importance of comprehending the various factors that contribute to SUD development and maintenance. Furthermore, knowing the underlying brain circuitry will aid in the development of more effective therapies and preventative efforts for SUDs (Vassileva et al., 2013). As a result, it is not unexpected that various theories have been offered to explain these illnesses. Psychological, circuit-based, and psychological models have been used to investigate decision-making. Many critical addiction theories are either neurobiologically based or have neurobiological components (Mollick & Kober, 2020).
In clinical psychology, computational techniques are particularly valuable because they push us to make explicit assumptions about the symbolic qualities of model pieces. Computational models comprise of mathematical models, and biologically based models. Biologically-based modeling techniques map components to specific brain areas or systems (Mollick & Kober, 2020). Mathematical models specify the precise algorithm that performs the required computations at the algorithmic level. On the other hand, biological models are at the implementation level, representing the particular brain machinery that conducts the analyses.
Models in mathematics Becker’s “rational theory of addiction” is perhaps the oldest model. Individuals aim to optimize their utility by choosing to use medicines when the advantages outweigh the expenses, which increases the utility of utilizing drugs even more. Price, effort, and penalties were all considered variables that reduce utility in the model.
These characteristics were combined to define drug use as an illogical error or a misalignment of choices and desires. They say that drugs make people more sensitive to contextual signals that encourage drug use by activating a “hot” decision-making mechanism that exaggerates the benefits of drug usage (Mollick & Kober, 2020). This raises the likelihood of using drugs in the future, even if it is not the most sensible decision.
Most of the studies used in the investigation of the process of decision making among drug addicts uses computational modelling methods, including Verdejo-Garcia et al. (2022), Vassileva et al. (2013) and Mollick & Kober (2020). The use of the computational modelling methods has shown to be effective in understanding the cognitive phenomena.
Relation Between Cognitive Phenomena and Other Psychology Disciplines
Other parts of psychology, such as humanistic, biological, behavioral, and psychodynamic methods, are related to the decision-making process. According to both humanistic and existential perspectives, people have the capacity for self-awareness and choice. However, the two schools of thought arrive at this result using different ideas. According to the humanistic viewpoint, human nature is naturally good, with the ability to form healthy, meaningful relationships and make decisions that benefit oneself and others. The goal of a humanistic therapist is to help patients break free from restricting beliefs and attitudes so that they can live more fully (Silvestro & Vohnoutka, 2021).
Instead of curing diseases or alleviating ailments, the therapist encourages personal development and self-actualization. This view emphasizes conscious processes in the present rather than unconscious processes and earlier causes. Nevertheless, like the existential approach, it believes that people are born with the ability to determine their own lives. Not in the case of the humanistic therapist.
According to the humanistic therapist, being one’s authentic self is the source of trouble. The therapeutic relationship serves as a vehicle or venue for psychological growth. The humanistic therapist aims to build a warm and welcoming therapeutic connection with the client, believing that the client’s inner desire will materialize healthily.
On the other hand, the existentialist is more concerned with supporting the client in discovering philosophical meaning amid worry by encouraging them to think and conduct indeed and ethically (Silvestro & Vohnoutka, 2021). As a result, drug users are self-aware of their choices, according to humanistic psychology. Computational methods have been widely adopted in investigating the decision-making process of drug users.
Behavioral psychology explains that decision-making for drug users is based on operant conditioning. Only a rewarding drug or action may become addicted only if it is gratifying or satisfying (Silvestro & Vohnoutka, 2021). Individuals who dislike specific drugs or activities are less likely to develop an addiction to such drugs or activities. It is not uncommon for individuals to dislike something. Some individuals detest certain medications or hobbies. This keeps children hooked on such substances or activities since they are unpleasant and pay poorly.
Addiction is a taught behavior because the initial pleasure or delight is fulfilling. According to operant conditioning principles, rewarding acts will develop. Most addictive substances and hobbies that deliver instant reward is especially troubling. Individuals (and animals) are more inclined to repeat an immediately rewarding activity. As a result, drug users’ decision-making processes are impacted by the incentives and penalties associated with drug use.
Future of the Research
The cognitive phenomena of the decision-making process can be used in future research to investigate drug users’ prevention and treatment modalities. It is feasible to create strategies to either reduce or increase innate approach-avoidance tendencies and enhance the growth and application of more cognitive processing control mechanisms. A study found that teaching a substance bias increased alcohol intake among heavy drinkers who did not seek treatment, showing a causal role for innate approach-avoidance inclinations in drug use. (Carpenter et al., 2015).
Similar outcomes were found among college drinkers who reported excessive alcohol use. These findings suggest that changing approach biases might be a powerful tool for influencing drinking behavior. Initial research reveals that visceral feelings and interoceptive processing play a significant part in drug addicts’ maladaptive judgment. More studies are needed to determine how interoceptive pathways may be skewed, how these biases influence drug-related decision-making, and if therapies to normalize interoception can be advantageous in people with substance abuse problems.
Future research on reality-based education in preventing drug addiction can be done. From the study on how decisions to use marijuana change over time, it was found that education programs directed towards harm reduction rather than creating fear of the harmful effects of using drugs were more effective (Shukla & Kelley, 2007). Perceiving drug addiction from the user’s point of view can significantly help reduce drug addiction incidences.
From this study on how decisions to use marijuana change over time, it is clear that the individuals have knowledge about the drugs before the initiation. Therefore, it is clear that drug users make conscious decisions to partake in drugs even when they know the harmful effects they might bring them. Thus, this calls for future research on education programs that include opinions of drug users on their decision-making process.
Conclusion
Drug users must decide whether or not to consume drugs in their everyday lives. Drug addiction is one of the significant health problems in today’s society. Understanding the decision-making process for drug users is the first step in developing prevention and treatment modalities. The introduction process and impulsivity are vital components used in explaining the cognitive phenomena process.
Computational models have been employed widely in determining the decision-making process of drug users and other vulnerable groups. Other aspects of psychology, such as humanistic and behavioral psychology, explain the decision-making process, which, together with cognitive psychology, can help determine future research on the same. Future research on the prevention and treatment methods based on the decision-making process of drug addicts will be helpful.
References
Ahn, W. Y., Vasilev, G., Lee, S. H., Busemeyer, J. R., Kruschke, J. K., Bechara, A., & Vassileva, J. (2014). Decision-making in stimulant and opiate addicts in protracted abstinence: evidence from computational modeling with pure users. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 849. Web.
Carpenter, K. M., Bedi, G., & Vadhan, N. P. (2015). Understanding and shifting drug-related decisions: Contributions of automatic decision-making processes.Current psychiatry reports, 17(8), 1-11. Web.
Mollick, J. A., & Kober, H. (2020). Computational models of drug use and addiction: A review.Journal of abnormal psychology, 129(6), 544. Web.
Shukla, R. K., & Kelley, M. S. (2007). Investigating how decisions to use marijuana change over time. Substance use & misuse, 42(9), 1401-1425. Web.
Silvestro, S., & Ellyn Vohnoutka, B. S. N. (2021). Types of therapy: what works for different issues?Therapy, 3(4), 22-30. Web.
Vassileva, J., Ahn, W. Y., Weber, K. M., Busemeyer, J. R., Stout, J. C., Gonzalez, R., & Cohen, M. H. (2013). Computational modeling reveals distinct effects of HIV and history of drug use on decision-making processes in women. PloS one, 8(8), e68962. Web.
Verdejo-Garcia, A., Garcia-Fernandez, G., & Dom, G. (2022). Cognition and addiction. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 21(3), 282-290. Web.