Classical Conditioning Explanation of Drug Overdose and Tolerance

This essay critically evaluates the classical conditioning explanation of drug tolerance and overdose, drawing upon Pavlov's experiments and related research. The introduction establishes the relationship between behavior and mind, setting the stage for an examination of how classical conditioning principles, such as the pairing of stimuli and responses, contribute to understanding drug-related phenomena. The main body delves into the core concepts, including the role of conditioned stimuli, compensatory mechanisms, and behavioral tolerance, and it analyzes how these factors influence addiction and the risk of overdose. The essay incorporates insights from various articles, including the role of Pavlovian conditioning in heroin overdose and psychological dependence. The conclusion synthesizes the key arguments, emphasizing the significance of classical conditioning in explaining addiction and the craving for drugs, as demonstrated through Pavlov's experiments.

Behaviour and mind

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAINBODY...................................................................................................................................2
Critically evaluate the classical conditioning explanation of drug tolerance and overdose........2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Behaviour and Brain are combined form of psychology which are concerned with how
mental capacities i.e., perception, mental imagery, language, perception etc arises from the brain
functions (De Houwer and Hughes, 2020). There is strong relationship between behaviours and
mind because it denotes that a person is mentally and physically fit. However, mind and
behaviour distinct from each other as mind is where individuals develop own thoughts, beliefs
and understanding of world while behaviour of individuals denotes how individuals act in the
world or response over the existing and imaginary things. This report will critically evaluate the
classical conditioning explanation of drug tolerance and overdose.
MAINBODY
Critical evaluation of classical conditioning explanation of drug tolerance and overdose
Article 1: Pavlovian conditioning and heroin overdose: Reports by overdose victims
This article was published by Shepard Siegel who stated about Heroin overdose mystery
that heroin overdose deaths tripled in US and UK between year 2010 to 2014 which were
reaching almost 11,000 per year. Many victims died after self-administration of fixed amount of
opiate that could not be expected fatal except drug tolerance. To resolve the overdose mystery,
there were some authors in which one describe an explanation based on pavlovian conditioning
that if a drug is administered in the presence of novel cues then tolerance fails to occur and
victim suffers from the overdose. Apart from this, RAMOO, (2019) quoted in published article
that, according to Ivan Pavlov, classical condition is a learning procedure in which a biologically
potent stimulus is paired with a previously neutral stimulus. Pavlov has explained classical
condition term by doing a famous experiment. In his experiment, Pavlov would ring the bell for
the dogs before giving food. Only ringing the bell would cause animal to salivate, even in the
absence of food (Beletsky, 2019). So, this ringing of the bell process is known as neutral
stimulus (NS), while salivation due to presence of food is known as unconditioned response
(UR). Salivation in response just because of the ringing the bell only in absence of food is
known as conditioned response (CR). As same in the case of drug addiction, withdrawal effects
require to be existed in order for classical conditioning only. While neutral stimulus needs to

attach with behaviour. For example, the sensation or environment are associated with the
behaviour (Pavlovian conditioning and heroin overdose: Reports by overdose victims, 2020).
While unconditioned response could be compensatory withdrawal reaction of the brain in
presence of drug. Once unconditional stimulus is connected with the neutral stimulus that
ultimately induces conditioned response of the compensatory mechanism for presence of drug,
even in the absence of drug as well. So, classical conditioning tells that the drug withdrawal
symptoms can be presented without actual presence of drug, enhancing possibilities of taking
drug. Even picture of the drug can initiate a conditioned response of withdrawal mechanism. It is
considered physical reason for the addiction which induces individuals to fit into find the drug
and ease of their discomfort situation. To understand the fact of classical conditioning with
overdose, Pavlov’s gave another example such as he stated that certain cues have powerful
impact on addicted persons because cues and the addiction are linked with the brain. Like, if a
person always smokes marijuana in the car on the way home from work then marijuana and car
are paired association form. Thus, the car signals marijuana is on it’s way as same like bell
signalled to the Pavlov’s dog that food was coming. Car has become a conditioned stimulus (A
cue), Now car itself trigger the powerful craving in addicted person. This concept has proved
experiments of Pavlov’s experiment like how dog’s salivate at the sound of bell as same concept
implement for the car and addict like car develops powerful craving in addicts for the marijuana
(CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND ADDICTION, 2019). With this learning approach,
Pavlov’s stated that if we ring bell many times without food that ultimately ends the paired
associations. In other word, the bell will no longer elicit symptoms of salivation in dog. There
was another example of addicted person who smokes marijuana in the car after the work, in this
case if this person repeatedly gets into the car after the work but does not smoke marijuana, then
craving of the person for the marijuana is automatically neglected.
Article 2: Psychological Dependence and Classical Conditioning
While Johan Watson stated in the published books about Pavlov’s observation that
process of classical conditioning is able to explain different aspects of human psychology.
Watson said that everything initiates from the speech to emotional responses which is simplified
pattern of stimulus and response (Psychological Dependence and Classical Conditioning,
2020). He denied the complete existence of consciousness or mind and believed that all human

being differences in behaviour were due to different experience of learning. Tolerance is the term
that means to decrease sensitivity of the drug as a result of repeated exposure to drug. Larger
amounts of drug should be administered to develop an effect (Amigó Borrás, Micó and Caselles
Moncho, 2018). It is caused by the compensatory mechanisms that oppose the effect of drug.
Withdrawal symptoms are usually compensatory reactions in body that oppose the primary effect
of drug. So, they are opposite of the effect of drug. Behavioural tolerance is specifically
interesting whereas organism learns to decline the effect of drug on its behaviour. In behavioural
tolerance, it can involve classical conditioning (Pavlovian Conditioning and Drug Overdose:
When Tolerance Fails. 2020). The “cues” related with addiction (smells, sights, people etc.) are
understood as conditional stimuli. Thus, classical conditioning supports to understand the drug
tolerance and addiction.
CONCLUSION
This report summarises classical conditioning with support from literature. This classical
conditioning term can be used to explain drug overdose and addiction which helps to understand
that why an addicted person always craves towards drug with the support of Pavlov’s
experiments.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
RAMOO, D.D., 2019. Pavlovian Conditioning and its Concepts.
Amigó Borrás, S., Micó, J.C. and Caselles Moncho, A., 2018. Learning to be a psychostimulants
addict with self-regulation therapy. Revista Internacional de Sistemas, 22, pp.13-21.
Beletsky, L., 2019. America's favorite antidote: drug-induced homicide in the age of the
overdose crisis. Utah L. Rev., p.833.
De Houwer, J. and Hughes, S., 2020. The psychology of learning: An introduction from a
functional-cognitive perspective. MIT Press.
Online
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND ADDICTION. 2019. [Online]. Available Through: - <
https://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=48409&cn=1408 >
Psychological Dependence and Classical Conditioning. 2020. [Online]. Available Through: - <
https://cssdp.org/psychological-dependence/ >
Pavlovian Conditioning and Drug Overdose: When Tolerance Fails. 2018. [Online].
Available Through:- <
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232044017_Pavlovian_Conditioning_and_Drug_Overd
ose_When_Tolerance_Fails >
Pavlovian conditioning and heroin overdose: Reports by overdose victims. 2020. [Online].
Available Through:-<
file:///C:/Users/hp/Downloads/Siegel1984_Article_PavlovianConditioningAndHeroin.pdf >