Is there a general tendency to become addicted?

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 81 - 87
• Main Authors: Rozin, Paul, Stoess, Caryn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1993; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Behavior, Addictive; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parents - psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Human; Poison withdrawal; Craving; Tolerance; Personality; Cigarette; Alcoholic beverage; Play; Video game; Adolescent; Predisposition; Self control; Beverage
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/0306-4603(93)90011-W

The tendency to become addicted across a number of different substances or activities was determined for a sample of 573 subjects, including college students and their parents. Four components of addiction were defined: craving, tolerance, withdrawal and lack of control. Subjects rated the extent to which each of these components characterized their relationships to each of ten substance/activities: coffee, tea, cola beverages, favorite alcoholic beverage, chocolate, nonchocolate sweets, hot chili pepper on food, cigarettes, gambling and video games. An “addiction score” was computed for each subject and each substance/activity, by summing the scores on the four components. Correlations in addiction scores for almost all activities were positive, but low (between 0 and .30), with the exception of chocolate and nonchocolate sweets, where the correlation was higher. The results suggests, at best, a weak tendency to become addicted, across a wide range of substances or activities. Other explanations of the low positive correlations are available, besides the notion of a general tendency to become addicted. There were a few significant mother-father correlations in various addiction scores, but none between mid-parent and child values. Three of the four components of addiction (craving, lack of control and withdrawal), were highly correlated. We conclude that there is little basis for the assumption of a general tendency to become addicted, a conclusion which casts doubt on the derivative notion of an addictive personality.