Addiction And Behavior In Opening Skinner's Box

Addiction and Behavior

People often think that a person who has certain beliefs will change their behavior and actions rather than their actual beliefs. It can be argued in either way. Here is the theory of cognitive dissonance which the consonant cognitions a person can have in their conscious. Those particular cognitions can lead the person to switch around their belief to rationalize their actions rather than change their actions to suit their belief. Leon Festinger’s experiment discussed in Opening Skinner’s Box by Lauren Slater. In the experiment, people look at their beliefs or opinions to make up their choices. These findings can be applied to drug addiction that society faces. Drug addiction commonly appears in many adults and teenagers.

In the article Dissonance-Based Interventions for Substance Using Alternative High-School Youth, Lori Holleran Steiker and Tara Powell state, “Statements made by the students in the qualitative analyses of the adaptation process suggest both cognitive dissonance and shifts in their stage of change” The interventions allow shifts from pro drug norms to drug averse norms. The results were in the changed behavior of less substance use. Studies support that youth who are not motivated by the change will typically not respond favorably to interventions. The dissonance experienced by teenagers and exploration of the payoffs and down sides of their substance-related attitudes and behaviors that can result in safer and healthier choices. The theory of cognitive dissonance can be used to understand the reasons why an addicted person chooses to use the substance. This leads to people who are addicted to realize the harm they are doing to themselves, instead of them justifying their drug addiction. By using cognitive dissonance in the interventions, it increases the chances to have positive outcomes for the teenage addict. They soon realize their behavior and comprehend what they are doing with themselves. The intervention becomes effective for teenagers to quit or at least realize their

According to Drug Rehab: Cognitive Dissonance in Addiction Treatment Programs by an unknown author, “American studies showed that even though 99% of Americans believe that smoking is harmful 20% of them still smoke regularly” (3). Even though multiple studies have been made of how a substance can cause harm to the human body people tend to ignore those studies and continue to consume drugs. The author demonstrates how there is a large proportion of people who believe smoking is harmful yet they still smoke. This leads to questioning why people continue their addiction. In the article, they observed that alcoholics and addicts often construct mechanisms to protect themselves from the uncomfortable feeling. Alcoholics and addicts will change their beliefs instead of changing or quitting drinking or consuming a drug. They will do this because they don’t want to feel discomfort with the cognitions they have to deal with. The behavior is one of the dissonant elements, and the individual can change or eliminate it. This usually creates problems as it is difficult for them to change well-learned behavioral