Addiction, Personality and Motivation

Abstract

It is suggested that addictive behaviour, so called, ®ts into a psychological resource model. In other words, the habits in question are acquired because they serve a useful function for the individual, and the nature of the functions they ful®l is related to the personality pro®le of the`addict'. For some people this resource function develops into a form of addiction, and it is suggested that the reason this occurs is related to excessive dopamine functioning. This in turn is used to suggest the nature of the addictive personality. Excessive dopamine functioning is related to the personality dimension of psychoticism, and evidence is cited to the eect that psychoticism is closely related to a large number of addictions. The precise reasons for the addictive eects of dopamine are still being debated, but clearly there is a causal chain linking personality and biological factors together in the production of addictive behaviour.

Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Violent Offending: Personality as a Contributing Factor

“…In partial support of our hypothesis, we found that higher levels of P and N, but not E, predicted greater alcohol consumption, which in turn predicted violent offending. These results are consistent with previous reports that offenders with high P levels show impulsivity, aggressiveness, and coldness in interpersonal relations [29], which can lead to both alcohol consumption and violent offences. Our results are also consistent with studies showing that alcohol consumption can be a coping strategy to escape negative internal experiences such as anxiety [30][31][32][33], which is associated with neuroticism.…”

The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success?

“…Within the Big Three approach to personality (L. A. Clark & Watson, 1999), psychoticism and neuroticism tend to be viewed as most relevant to addictions (e.g., Eysenck, 1997), although it is notable that drug addicts tend to have relatively lower scores on extraversion (see Eysenck, 1997, for a review). L. A.…”

The association between gambling pathology and personality disorders

“…On a theoretical level, researchers have had a continued interest in the role of personality in addictive behaviors (Eysenck, 1997). Per the DSM, there are three primary personality disorder clusters: Cluster A defined as odd or eccentric (i.e., Schizoid, Schizotypal and Paranoid); Cluster B characterized by erratic, dramatic, or labile emotions and behavior (Narcissistic, Borderline, Histrionic and Antisocial Disorders) and Cluster C personality disorder types described as having dependent and avoidant responses (i.e., Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality).…”