When Jeremy first tried heroin, he felt a "rush" of pleasure.However, as the drug wore off, discomfort and craving occurred, so he began using heroin more often.Now that Jeremy is addicted to heroin, he finds that the drug has stopped producing pleasure, but it will end the withdrawal symptoms he now suffers, at least for a while.Jeremy's experience is best explained by the __________ theory.
A) drive reduction
B) opponent-process
C) Yerkes-Dodson
D) Cannon-Bard

Question

When Jeremy first tried heroin, he felt a "rush" of pleasure.However, as the drug wore off, discomfort and craving occurred, so he began using heroin more often.Now that Jeremy is addicted to heroin, he finds that the drug has stopped producing pleasure, but it will end the withdrawal symptoms he now suffers, at least for a while.Jeremy's experience is best explained by the __________ theory.
A) ​drive reduction
B) ​opponent-process
C) ​Yerkes-Dodson
D) ​Cannon-Bard

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jeremy's experience can best be explained by the opponent-process theory, which suggests that drug use leads to an initial positive state, followed by a negative and opposing state, leading to increasing drug use to avoid the negative effects. This explains why Jeremy initially felt pleasure but is now motivated to use drugs to avoid withdrawal symptoms, rather than for pleasure. The other theories listed are not as relevant to explaining addiction to drugs.

When Jeremy First Tried Heroin, He Felt a "Rush" of Pleasure.However