Biological Explanation of Addiction

Individual's may be born with a genetic vulnerability to addiction. This may be through an inherited gene from parents such as the 

STRENGTH

- Reduce stigma due to lack of control over hereditary factors

- Supported by Kajj Twin study

LIMITATIONS

- Genes themselves cannot produce addiction themselves, nurture has to play a role too 

- Could make an individual feel helpless and it is an 'inherited' disorder so they won't get treatment

- Male Swedish twins

- Looked for concordance in criminal offences involving alcohol

- Concordance for identical twins was 54%

- Concordance for fraternal twins was 28%

- Suggests that genetic factors do contribute to addiction

STRENGTHS

- large sample size shows representative

- practical application, doctors can offer help t other family members

LIMITATIONS

- alcohol offences not addiction/ not other substances, lacks validity

- was not 100% of identical twins so diathesis stress model supported, environmental and genetic play a role