| Date | May 2011 | Marks available | 3 | Reference code | 11M.3.SL.TZ2.15 |
| Level | Standard level | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | Time zone 2 |
| Command term | Discuss | Question number | 15 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
State one example of an excitatory and one example of an inhibitory psychoactive drug.
Excitatory: ...........................................................
Inhibitory: ...........................................................
Discuss causes of addiction.
Markscheme
excitatory: cocaine / nicotine / amphetamines;
inhibitory: benzodiazepines / alcohol / THC;
Accept other suitable examples.
addictive drugs trigger secretion of dopamine which causes feelings of pleasure/ well-being/reward / users become dependent on feelings;
genetic predisposition is most common with addiction to alcohol;
social factors affect the incidence of addiction;
it is not certain that a person who is genetically predisposed will develop addiction when exposed to the drug / OWTTE;
although many drugs are (potentially) addictive, not every user becomes an addict;
named social factors which must be explained:
e.g. cultural traditions / peer pressure;
social deprivation / traumatic life experiences / mental problems;
Examiners report
E3 was well answered on the whole, though a few candidates confused inhibitory with excitatory drugs.
E3 was well answered on the whole.
