Bad Habits 03
BICKEL, W. K., JOHNSON, M. W., KOFFARNUS, M. N., MACKILLOP, J., &
MURPHY, J. G. (2014). THE BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS OF SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDERS: REINFORCEMENT PATHOLOGIES AND THEIR REPAIR
Reinforcement pathology;
- Results from the recursive interactions between endogenous (eg.
Physiologically mediated subjective responses to drugs, steep devaluation of
delayed reward (demand+discounting)) & exogenous factors (eg. Drug +
alternative reinforcement price/availability)
- Understanding of reinforcement pathology has been facilitated by behavioural
economics
- Its application to substance disorders began in 1990s with considerable
success in relating the quantity of drug taking behaviour to substance price
Principles of behavioural economics:
Reinforcement pathologies
- Are the result of patterns of choices that have an additive influence on one’s
subsequent options + choices
- There are 2 primary principles of behavioral economics that permit a
characterization of reinforcement pathology: 1. Demand AND 2. Discounting
Demand;
Is the amount of commodity (Ware) purchased at a given price à it is described
as:
-> inelastic: when it is relative insensitive to a price change (eg. Bread you
always need, so you still buy it even though it is more expensive)
→ elastic: when it is relative sensitive to a price change (higher price, less consumption;
luxurious things)
- Elasticity of demand is defined as the proportional change in consumption
relative to the proportional change in price
→ a proportional change of consumption is either less than the corresponding
, proportional change in price (inelastic) OR proportionally greater than the
corresponding change in consumption (elastic)
- Demand can be further investigated by generating a demand curve
→ demand curve shows consumption as a function of price
→ slope: is equivalent to a changing elasticity of demand
→ demand curve analysis shows that the reinforcing efficacy of a commodity (ware) is
inherently dependent on the unit price at which it is assessed & that initial demand for
two products cannot necessarily be used to predict preference at higher prices
- Individual differences in demand for substances may provide clinically relevant
indicators of addiction severity
Unit price:
- Demand analysis quantifies the effect of price on consumption = price can be
a cost-benefit ratio that is also referred to as “unit price”
- Eg. Decreasing the amount of nicotine in a cigarette by half will function the
same as if the price were doubled
Reinforcer interaction:
- Demand for a commodity (ware) is important for the choices drug-dependent
ppl will make to obtain the reinforcer that contributed to their pathology
-Behavioral economics provides an easily operationalized + sophisticated
framework to quantify the degree + type of interaction between different
reinforcers
- Behavioral economics specifies that commodities can interact in one of three
ways that describes a continuum:
a. At one end of the continuum, commodities can function as substitutes, eg. as
price increases for a commodity such as butter + its consumption decreases,
consumption increases for another commodity (the substitute) that has
remained constant in price (e.g., margarine). The slope of increase in
consumption of margarine as a function of the unit price for butter would
BICKEL, W. K., JOHNSON, M. W., KOFFARNUS, M. N., MACKILLOP, J., &
MURPHY, J. G. (2014). THE BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS OF SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDERS: REINFORCEMENT PATHOLOGIES AND THEIR REPAIR
Reinforcement pathology;
- Results from the recursive interactions between endogenous (eg.
Physiologically mediated subjective responses to drugs, steep devaluation of
delayed reward (demand+discounting)) & exogenous factors (eg. Drug +
alternative reinforcement price/availability)
- Understanding of reinforcement pathology has been facilitated by behavioural
economics
- Its application to substance disorders began in 1990s with considerable
success in relating the quantity of drug taking behaviour to substance price
Principles of behavioural economics:
Reinforcement pathologies
- Are the result of patterns of choices that have an additive influence on one’s
subsequent options + choices
- There are 2 primary principles of behavioral economics that permit a
characterization of reinforcement pathology: 1. Demand AND 2. Discounting
Demand;
Is the amount of commodity (Ware) purchased at a given price à it is described
as:
-> inelastic: when it is relative insensitive to a price change (eg. Bread you
always need, so you still buy it even though it is more expensive)
→ elastic: when it is relative sensitive to a price change (higher price, less consumption;
luxurious things)
- Elasticity of demand is defined as the proportional change in consumption
relative to the proportional change in price
→ a proportional change of consumption is either less than the corresponding
, proportional change in price (inelastic) OR proportionally greater than the
corresponding change in consumption (elastic)
- Demand can be further investigated by generating a demand curve
→ demand curve shows consumption as a function of price
→ slope: is equivalent to a changing elasticity of demand
→ demand curve analysis shows that the reinforcing efficacy of a commodity (ware) is
inherently dependent on the unit price at which it is assessed & that initial demand for
two products cannot necessarily be used to predict preference at higher prices
- Individual differences in demand for substances may provide clinically relevant
indicators of addiction severity
Unit price:
- Demand analysis quantifies the effect of price on consumption = price can be
a cost-benefit ratio that is also referred to as “unit price”
- Eg. Decreasing the amount of nicotine in a cigarette by half will function the
same as if the price were doubled
Reinforcer interaction:
- Demand for a commodity (ware) is important for the choices drug-dependent
ppl will make to obtain the reinforcer that contributed to their pathology
-Behavioral economics provides an easily operationalized + sophisticated
framework to quantify the degree + type of interaction between different
reinforcers
- Behavioral economics specifies that commodities can interact in one of three
ways that describes a continuum:
a. At one end of the continuum, commodities can function as substitutes, eg. as
price increases for a commodity such as butter + its consumption decreases,
consumption increases for another commodity (the substitute) that has
remained constant in price (e.g., margarine). The slope of increase in
consumption of margarine as a function of the unit price for butter would
