Determinants of Addiction

Dr. Yates received his PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Kentucky in 2014. He is currently a Professor in Psychological Science at Northern Kentucky University. His research interests include elucidating the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying drug addiction and studying the neural mechanisms of impulsive and risky decision-making. Dr. Yates’ research has been recognized at a national level, as he has received the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 25 B.F. Skinner Foundation New Researcher Award, the APA Division 28 Young Psychopharmacologist Award (both in 2018), and the APA Division 6 Early Career Award (2021). He has also received awards from Northern Kentucky University, including the 2019 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award and the 2020 Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award.

I: Prologue 1. Introduction to addiction: Substance use disorders

II: Neurobiological mechanisms of addiction 2. Pharmacological actions of commonly used drugs 3. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates of addiction 4. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of addiction

III: Behavioral and cognitive mechanisms of addiction 5. Learning mechanisms of addiction: operant conditioning 6. Learning mechanisms of addiction: Pavlovian conditioning 7. Attentional and memory processes underlying addiction 8. Maladaptive decision making and addiction

IV: Individual and sociocultural factors linked to addiction 9. Individual differences in addiction: focus on personality traits 10. Social and sociocultural factors associated with addiction 11. Stress and addiction 12. Gender and sex differences in addiction

V: Epilogue 13. Beyond substance use disorders:Behavioral addictions