The Relationship Between Behavioral Brain Systems and Tendency Toward Substance Abuse
Keywords:
addiction, vice and moral corruption, addictAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Substance abuse is one of the most significant behavioral and psychological disorders associated with alterations in brain reward, inhibition, and emotional regulation systems. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between behavioral brain systems and tendency toward substance abuse among students of Tabriz University.
Methodology: This descriptive-correlational cross-sectional study was conducted among students of Tabriz University during the 2021–2022 academic year. A total of 150 participants were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Research instruments included the Addiction Admission Scale (AAS), Addiction Potential Scale (APS), and Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 software through Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis.
Findings: The findings indicated a significant positive relationship between the Behavioral Activation System and tendency toward substance abuse (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). In contrast, the Behavioral Inhibition System showed a significant negative relationship with tendency toward substance abuse (r = -0.41, p < 0.01). Regression analysis demonstrated that behavioral brain systems explained 48 percent of the variance in substance abuse tendency (R² = 0.48). Among predictor variables, the Behavioral Activation System was the strongest positive predictor, whereas the Behavioral Inhibition System was the strongest negative predictor of tendency toward substance abuse.
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that individual differences in behavioral brain system activity play a significant role in vulnerability toward substance abuse. Therefore, attention to neuropsychological characteristics and the development of preventive interventions focused on emotional regulation, behavioral inhibition, and impulsivity reduction may help reduce substance abuse-related problems.
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Copyright (c) 1404 Parisa Abbaszadeh (Author); Majid Mahmoud Alilou; Touraj Hashemi Nosratabad (Author)
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