Abstract
About this talk
Popular stereotypes of addiction emphasize loss of free will, sometimes based on irresistible urges. The recently popular “brain disease” theory of addiction likewise emphasizes on the inability to stop using despite wanting to quit. But evidence suggests that addicts retain voluntary control over their actions, and cravings are generally weak and resistible. This talk integrates many findings from the research literature on addiction to develop the idea that addiction has somewhat separate effects on liking, wanting, and doing, any of which can derail attempts to quit. Improved understanding of addiction may require replacing the long-running quest for a single formula with a pluralistic framework.
Speaker
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