Chapter 7
Summary
This chapter explores the work of Bruce Alexander and his studies on rats when researching the effect of one’s social, physical and psychological life on one’s addiction to drugs. After putting sixteen rats in a caged environment and sixteen rats in a “rat park,” Alexander exposed them both to morphine. What Alexander found was that the rats in the rat park chose drinking normal water over the morphine-laced water while the cramped, caged rats preferred the morphine-laced water.
Slater goes on to discuss the other side of the argument about how some argue that addictions are caused by a decrease in the production of certain chemicals in the brain.
She also discusses how her husband takes pain killers and is not addicted and the case of Emma Lowry, who was prescribed opium after surgery and is now addicted.
Discussion
This chapter presented something we did not discuss in my psychology class. We discussed the decrease in production of certain chemicals but never did we learn of Bruce Alexander and his studies with the rat park. I have known of certain people who do drugs who do seem to not be addicted (though I was not with them all the time to know for certain). They didn’t seem to make a habit of doing drugs. But I’ve also known people who were addicted. Considering their different life styles and family backgrounds, I can’t really say which theory seems to hold more truth. I’ve only been taught one side of it, which of course makes me want to lean that way, but then again, I’ve always been one for mind over matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment