Choice, Behavioral Economics, and Addiction

Front Cover
Rudolph Eugene Vuchinich, Nick Heather
Elsevier, 2003 M11 13 - 438 pages
Choice, Behavioural Economics and Addiction is about the theory, data, and applied implications of choice-based models of substance use and addiction. The distinction between substance use and addiction is important, because many individuals use substances but are not also addicted to them. The behavioural economic perspective has made contributions to the analysis of both of these phenomena and, while the major focus of the book is on theories of addiction, it is necessary also to consider the behavioural economic account of substance use in order to place the theories in their proper context and provide full coverage of the contribution of behavioural economics to this field of study.
The book discusses the four major theories of addiction that have been developed in the area of economic science/behavioural economics. They are:
. hyperbolic discounting
. melioration
. relative addiction
. rational addiction
The main objective of the book is to popularise these ideas among addiction researchers, academics and practitioners. The specific aims are to articulate the shared and distinctive elements of these four theories, to present and discuss the latest empirical work on substance abuse and addiction that is being conducted in this area, and to articulate a range of applied implications of this body of work for clinical, public health and public policy initiatives.

The book is based on an invitation-only conference entitled, Choice, Behavioural Economics and Addiction: Theory, Evidence and Applications held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, March 30 - April 1, 2001. The conference was attended by prominent scientists and scholars, representing a range of disciplines concerned with theories of addiction and their consequences for policy and practice. The papers in the book are based on the papers given at the above conference, together with commentaries by distinguished experts and, in many cases, replies to these comments by the presenters.

From inside the book

Contents

Introduction Overview of Behavioural Economic Perspectives on Substance Use and Addiction
1
Views from Four Theories of Addiction
33
Hyperbolic Discounting as a Factor in Addiction A Critical Analysis
35
Comments on Ainslie and Monterosso
62
Reply to Miller
67
Evolving Models of Addictive Behavior From Neoclassical to Behavioral Economics
71
Comments on Chaloupka Emery and Liang
90
Consumption Dependent Changes in Reward Value A Framework for Understanding Addiction
95
Comments on Bickel and Johnson
272
Reply to Humphreys
276
Empirical Studies of Addiction
279
Rational Addiction and Injection of Heroin
281
Comments on BrettevilleJensen
303
Reply to Morrisey
306
Social Interaction and Drug Use Rachlin vs Schelling
309
Comments on Melberg
332

Comments on Heyman
122
Economic Concepts in the Behavioral Study of Addiction
129
Comments on Rachlin
150
Other Perspectives on Addiction
155
Addiction Definitions and Mechanisms
157
Comments on Skog
176
Reply to Heather
182
Choosing Delayed Rewards Perspectives from Learning Theory Neurochemistry and Neuroanatomy
183
Comments on Cardinal Robbins and Everitt
214
Reply to Bickel
217
Reason and Addiction
219
Comments on Gjelsvik
239
Reply to Ainslie
245
Junk Time Pathological Behavior as the Interaction of Evolutionary and Cultural Forces
249
Reply to Rachlin
335
Discounting the Value of Commodities According to Different Types of Cost
339
Comments on Mitchell
358
Practical Implications
363
Merging Behavioral Economic and Public Health Approaches to the Delivery of Services for Substance Abuse Concepts and Applications
365
Comments on Tucker and Simpson
379
Is the Addiction Concept Useful for Drug Policy?
383
Comments on MacCoun
402
Reply to Schuster
407
Concluding Comments
409
Author Index
427
Subject Index
433
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