Determinants of choice, and vulnerability and recovery in addiction
Open accessAbstract
Addiction may be viewed as choice governed by competing contingencies. One factor impacting choice, particularly as it relates to addiction, is sensitivity to delayed rewards. Discounting of delayed rewards influences addiction vulnerability because of competition between relatively immediate gains of drug use, e.g. intoxication, versus relatively remote gains of abstinence, e.g. family stability. Factors modifying delay sensitivity can be modeled in the laboratory. For instance, increased delay sensitivity can be similarly observed in adolescent humans and non-human animals. Similarly, genetic factors influence delay sensitivity in humans and animals. Recovery from addiction may also be viewed as choice behavior. Thus, reinforcing alternative behavior facilitates recovery because reinforcing alternative behavior decreases the frequency of using drugs. How reinforcing alternative behavior influences recovery can also be modeled in the laboratory. For instance, relapse risk decreases as abstinence duration increases, and this decreasing risk can be modeled in animals using choice procedures. In summary, addiction in many respects can be conceptualized as a problem of choice. Animal models of choice disorders stand to increase our understanding of the core processes that establish and maintain addiction and serve as a proving ground for development of novel treatments.
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Addiction can be conceptualized as a behavioral choice influenced by competing contingencies, especially sensitivity to immediate (NOW) versus delayed (LATER) rewards.
“Addiction can be conceptualized as a behavioral choice influenced by competing contingencies, especially sensitivity to immediate (NOW) versus delayed (LATER) rewards.24”
From Beyond Stigma–Integrating Neurobiology, Genetics, and Awareness Integration Theory in Addiction Recovery (2026) · cites this paper as [24]
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Blum, K., Gold, M., Jafari, N., Lewandrowski, K.-U., Sharafshah, A., Mohankumar, K., Lorio, M., Bowirrat, A., Pinhasov, A., Thanos, K., et al. (2026) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s561157 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“24 Volkow and Baler 25 proposed a model in which dopamine modulates both phasic signaling (associated with NOW-oriented reward circuits) and tonic signaling (associated with LATER-oriented control circuits).”
- Authors
- Lamb, R. J., Maguire, D. R., Ginsburg, B. C., Pinkston, J. W., & France, C. P.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center (US)
- University of North Texas (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lamb, R.J.
- Venue
- Behavioural Processes
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-06
- Volume
- 127
- Pages
- 35-42
- ISSN
- 0376-6357 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4968700
- OpenAlex
- W2339125300
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 0.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Behavioural Processes (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA012337, R01AA016987)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (K05DA017918, R01DA029254, T32DA031115)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- addiction, choice behavior, delay discounting, delay sensitivity, addiction vulnerability, addiction recovery, relapse risk, abstinence, alternative behavior, genetic factors, animal models of addiction
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Choice Behavior, Humans, Reinforcement, Psychology, Substance-Related Disorders, Delay Discounting
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