PY7172 - Addiction Psychology (2015/16)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2015/16 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Addiction Psychology | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 20 | ||||||||||||
| School | Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 200 | ||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2015/16(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This module provides a broad introduction to the epidemiology, prevalence, description,
diagnoses and theoretical models of the aetiology of addiction.
Module aims
- To critically examine definitions, descriptions and classifications of addiction.
- To examine in detail and critically assess the contribution of the devlopmental stages of addiction
- To critically evaluate major psychological theories and vulnerabilities in the aetiology of addiction
Syllabus
What is addiction? Definitions and Diagnosis; types of addiction; The stages of the addiction process; aetiology of addiction; psychological theories; vulnerabilities for addiction.
Learning and teaching
Twelve 3 hour class based sessions with lectures workshops and regular journal club sessions Students will also be required to carry out independent learning, generally in the form of background reading.
The module provides students with the opportunity for early assessment and feedback.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. critically evaluate the role of diagnosis and description in the definition of addiction
2. Critically evaluate and understand the impact of different developmental stages and vulnerabilities on the addiction process
3. Critically evaluate theoretical explanations of addiction
Assessment strategy
The module is assessed in two ways:
(1) a 2000 word coursework essay as a method of diagnostic assessment in which the student can receive feedback on their performance early on in the course (50%).
(2) 2 hours unseen examination to test students' basic comprehension covering the core topics of the module. Students will be required to select two questions from a choice of six, written in essay format (50%).
Bibliography
Frances, R. J., Miller, S. I., & Mack, A. H. (Eds.). (2005). Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders Guilford Press.
Gossop, M. (2003). Drug Addiction and Its Treatment Oxford: OUP.
Lusher, J. M., Chandler, C., & Ball, D., (2006) A contemporary investigation into vulnerability factors of alcoholism: A distinct substance of abuse. In Trends in Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Research. Nova Science Publishers.
Koob, G., & Le Moal, M. (2005). Neurobiology of Addiction Academic Press Inc.,U.S.
Lowinson, J. H., Langrod, J. G., Millman, R. B., & Ruiz, P. (Eds.). (2004). Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
McCrady, B. S., & Epstein, E. E., (eds) (1999) Addictions: A Comprehensive Guide Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Orford, J., (2001) Excessive Appetites: A Psychological View of Addictions.
West, R., (2006) Theory of Addiction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.