Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Addiction as a function of action system properties.

E Loonis1, M J Apter, H Sztulman

  • 1Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie, Université de Toulouse II Le Mirail, France. loonis@univ-tlse2.fr

Addictive Behaviors
|July 13, 2000
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[Validity study of the DSQ-40 (Defense Style Questionnaire, 40-item version)].

L'Encephale·2005
Same author

[Personality disorders in a nonclinical sample of adolescents].

L'Encephale·2002
Same author

[Validation of the French version of of the Telic Dominance Scale (TDS)].

L'Encephale·2000
Same author

[Addictions and action systems].

L'Encephale·2000
Same author

Defense styles and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The Journal of nervous and mental disease·2000
Same author

On Slochower's 'Erotic complications'.

The International journal of psycho-analysis·2000
Same journal

Changes in gambling behaviour and harm across the adult population, among priority groups, and by population subgroups in Great Britain, 2021-2024: Repeat cross-sectional annual survey.

Addictive behaviors·2026
Same journal

Life satisfaction across patterns of cigarette and e-cigarette use among adolescents: evidence from a national school-based survey.

Addictive behaviors·2026
Same journal

The prospective relationship between craving and the likelihood of "unknown" substance use motive endorsement.

Addictive behaviors·2026
Same journal

An evaluation of anxiety and depressive symptoms in terms of smoking among Black adults.

Addictive behaviors·2026
Same journal

Loot box purchases are associated with problem gambling severity and harms beyond traditional gambling activities.

Addictive behaviors·2026
Same journal

Harm perceptions of smoking versus vaping cannabis and correlates: national surveys of youth and young adults in England, Canada, and the United States.

Addictive behaviors·2026
See all related articles

Addictions involve a rigid action system with high salience and low variety, alongside a paratelic state. This study found significant differences in action system variables and dysphoria between drug addicts and controls.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Addiction research often focuses on hedonic management.
  • Previous analyses suggest action systems govern goal-directed behaviors.
  • The concept of the 'paratelic state' is linked to certain behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the characteristics of the action system in individuals with addiction.
  • To explore the relationship between action system variables, paratelic states, and dysphoria in addiction.
  • To determine if systemic properties of the action system underlie addiction.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 31 drug addicts and 29 control subjects.
  • Development and use of the Activity-System Drawing Test to measure action system variables.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Utilized the Telic Dominance Scale for paratelic states and BATE, IDA-13, SEI, TAS-20 for dysphoria measures.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant differences were observed in action system variables between drug addicts and controls.
    • Individuals with addiction exhibited distinct patterns in salience, variety, and vicariance of their action systems.
    • Elevated levels of dysphoria (anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, alexithymia) were also significantly different between groups.

    Conclusions:

    • Addictions are characterized by a rigid action system (high salience, low variety, low vicariance).
    • The paratelic state and specific dysphoric experiences are strongly associated with addictive behaviors.
    • These findings support the hypothesis that addiction emerges from systemic properties of the action system.