Question: Prior to beginning work on this discussion, be sure to read the required articles for this week.

Addictions come in many forms and almost always involve a complex three-way interaction between the person, the object of the addiction (e.g., drugs, gambling, chocolate), and the societal context of the addiction. This complex interaction raises a controversial social question: Is addiction always a bad thing? Although there is often a significant amount of social stigma attached to addictions, and popular media often focuses on the treatment and prevention of addiction, there may also be associated positive qualities of addictive substances and behaviors.

Begin your initial post by choosing either a substance or a behavior with addictive potential based on your assigned group. To create a meaningful and interesting discussion, it would behoove you to choose a substance or behavior that has not already been addressed in the discussion board. For this discussion, you must explain both the positive and negative potential of addiction to your chosen substance or behavior. Therefore, you must choose a substance or behavior that presents both positive and negative potential outcomes.

Research your substance or behavior providing at least two peer-reviewed resources to support any claims made. In your post, construct clear and concise arguments using evidence-based psychological concepts and theories to create a brief scenario or example of a situation in which your chosen addiction provides both positive and negative potential outcomes for a subject. Integrate concepts developed from different content domains to support your arguments. Evaluate and comment on the reliability and generalizability of the specific articles and research findings you have chosen to support your arguments. Explain how the APA's Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct might be used to guide your decisions as a psychology professional if you were assigned to consult with the subject in the situation you have created.

Chosen Addiction: Food

Articles: American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct: Including 2010 amendments.

· This document outlines a series of ethical standards, guidelines, and aspirational goals to guide psychologists.

Bourgain, C., Falissard, B., Blecha, L., Benyamina, A., Karila, L., & Reynaud, M. (2012). A damage/benefit evaluation of addictive product use. Addiction, 107(2),441-450. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03675.x

Granic, I. L., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 69(1), 66-78. doi: 10.1037/a0034857

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. Much of the psychological research on the effects of video games has focused on the negative effects of gaming. In this article, the researchers summarize the research on the positive effects of playing video games.

Landolfi, E. (2013). Exercise addiction. Sports Medicine, 43(2),111-119. doi: 10.1007/s40279-012-0013-x

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the ProQuest database in the Ashford University Library. This article examines the nature of exercise addiction, including symptoms and options for treatment.

Magnus, A. C., Sheppard, D., Cumming, L., Peace, T., & Carter, R. (2012). The economic gains of achieving reduced alcohol consumption targets for Australia. American Journal of Public Health, 102(7),1313-1319. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300453

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. The researchers in this article estimate the economic benefits of achieving reduced alcohol consumption, and conclude that the economic savings and health benefits are likely substantial.

Nyman, J. A., Dowd, B. E., Hakes, J. K., Winters, K. C., & King, S. (2013). Work and non-pathological gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 29(1),61-81. doi: 10.1007/s10899-011-9290-9

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the ProQuest database in the Ashford University Library. This article reviews economic approaches to explaining non-pathological gambling.

Reynaud, M., Luquiens, A., Aubin, H., Talon, C., & Bourgain, C. (2013). Quantitative damage-benefit evaluation of drug effects: Major discrepancies between the general population, users and expertsLinks to an external site.. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(7),590-599. doi: 10.1177/0269881113487809

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the SAGE Journals database in the Ashford University Library. This study sought to quantify the perceptions of the benefits and consequences for individual users and society associated with gambling and several addictive substances.

Uzbay, I. T. (2008). Serotonergic anti-depressants and ethanol withdrawal syndrome: A review. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43(1), 15-24. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agm145

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed. This article provides a review of laboratory findings on the effects of anti-depressant agents that interact with the serotonergic system on signs of ethanol withdrawal syndrome in rats.

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. The authors of this article attempt to obtain damage/benefit assessments of several addictive products, and conclude that the perceived benefits of these products appear to have a major impact on the opinion of those products.