Curriculum matching

'Big Picture: Addiction' is particularly relevant to the following examination board specifications:

PSHE at Key Stage 4

3. Range and content
The benefits and risks of health and lifestyle choices, including choices relating to sexual activity and substance use and misuse, and the short and long-term consequences for the health and mental and emotional wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.

AQA GCE Human Biology

3.4.5 Drugs can affect how we perceive the world around us
The functioning of the nervous system to appreciate the processes between sensation, the detection of stimuli, and perception due to processing and interpretation by the brain.

Candidates should be able to use their knowledge of the functioning of the nervous system to explain how drugs can influence the functioning of the brain and so affect mood and perception of reality.

The effect of drugs on synaptic transmission.

AQA GCE Psychology A

3.4 PSyA4
The psychology of addictive behaviour.
Biological, cognitive and learning models of addiction, including explanations for initiation, maintenance and relapse.
Explanations for specific addictions, including smoking and gambling.
Vulnerability to addiction including self-esteem, attributions for addiction and social context of addiction.
The role of media in addictive behaviour.
Models of prevention, including theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour.
Types of intervention, including biological, psychological, public health interventions and legislation, and their effectiveness.

AQA GCE Psychology B

3.3.7 Substance Abuse
Distinctions between addiction and physical dependence.
Psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal.
Solvent abuse, tobacco and nicotine, alcohol, stimulants and depressants.
Explanations for substance abuse: hereditary factors; personality characteristics and social factors, including peer influences.
Psychological treatments and their effectiveness, including aversion therapy and self-management.
Prevention techniques.
Identifying and targeting ‘risk’ groups.
Use of fear-arousing appeals.
Social inoculation.
Health promotion/education in treatment and prevention.
The stages of behaviour change proposed in the Prochaska model.

OCR GCE Human Biology

5.3.2.3 Modifying brain function
Define the term drug (to include reference to both therapeutic and abusive aspects).
Describe how drugs can be used to modify brain activity and function with reference to dopamine for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and diamorphine (heroin) for the relief of severe pain.
Discuss the use of cannabis both therapeutically and recreationally.
Distinguish between psychological and physical dependency with reference to heroin and alcohol.

Edexcel GCE Biology

4.4 Topic 8: Grey matter
Explain the effects of drugs on synaptic transmissions, including the use of L-Dopa in the treatment of Parkinson’s

Edexcel GCE Psychology

3.3c Health psychology: Substance misuse
Define health psychology, showing understanding that health psychology is about understanding health from study of the biological bases of behaviour (such as the study of drugs and their effects) and the cognitive and social bases for behaviour and that health psychology is about promoting good health.

Define and use psychological terminology appropriately and accurately including the terms:
i substance misuse
ii synapse
iii tolerance
iv physical dependence
v psychological dependence
vi withdrawal.

Describe two explanations of substance misuse. One explanation must be from the Biological Approach, and one from the Learning Approach. Suitable examples for the explanation from the Learning Approach:
i social learning theory and the role of models
ii operant conditioning and positive reinforcement of short-term effects
iii negative reinforcement of avoidance of withdrawal.
Describe and compare relative strengths and weaknesses of explanations from the Biological and Learning Approaches.

Describe, with reference to heroin and one other drug from alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, smoking/nicotine:
i mode of action (e.g. at the synapse)
ii effects
iii tolerance (or absence of tolerance)
iv physical and/or psychological dependencies
v withdrawal.

Describe and evaluate two ways of treating substance misuse including drug treatment in heroin dependence (the Biological Approach) and one other. Suitable examples: aversion therapy for smoking or alcohol abuse (the Learning Approach), token economy for drug use (the Learning Approach), the AA Approach.

Describe and evaluate one campaign that has encouraged people not to use recreational drugs.

Describe one key issue in health psychology, using the content studied within the application. Suitable examples: the issue of how drug abuse can be treated, the issue of how to prevent drug abuse, cross-cultural differences in drug taking.

And either:
Conduct a content analysis of magazine or newspaper articles (can include TV or web-based material) concerning the key issue. Write up the findings. Draw conclusions about the findings, linked to concepts, theories and/or research (as appropriate) from the topic of relevance.
or:
Summarise two magazine or newspaper articles (can include TV or web-based material) concerning a topic covered within this application. Write up the summaries. Draw conclusions about their findings, linked to concepts, theories and/or research (as appropriate) from the topic of relevance.

WJEC GCE Biology

4.7 The nervous system
The structure and role of the synapse and synaptic transmission.
The effect of chemicals such as organophosphates and psychoactive drugs (in brief) on transmission.

WJEC GCE Biology

Unit PY4 - Section C:Applications
Theories of addiction including biological and social/psychological explanations.
Treatment of addiction (e.g. biological and social/psychological treatments).

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence

Health and Well-Being: Substance abuse HWB 4-38a
I understand the positive effects that some substances can have on the mind and body but I am also aware of the negative and serious physical, mental, emotional, social and legal consequences of the misuse of substances.

HWB 4-39a
Through investigation, I can explain how images of substance use and misuse can influence people's behaviour.

HWB 4-40a
I am developing a range of skills which can support decision making about substance use. I can demonstrate strategies for making informed choices to maintain and improve my health and wellbeing and can apply these in situations that may be stressful or challenging, or involve peer pressure.

HWB 4-43a
I understand the impact that ongoing misuse of substances can have on a person’s health, future life choices and options.