IMPLICIT LEARNING (TIFFANY, 1990) • DRUG-TAKING HABITS ARE CAUSED BY ABERRANT LEARNING, BECAUSE DRUGS SUBVERT NEURONAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN IMPLICIT LEARNING (UNCONSCIOUS S-R OR S-S PROCESSES). URGES AND CRAVINGS ARE OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE TO FORCE OF HABIT (AUTOMATICITY). • “…WITH SUFFICIENT PRACTICE, PERFORMANCE ON ANY TASK CAN BECOME AUTOMATIC…” AND “DRUG-USE BEHAVIOR IN THE ADDICT REPRESENT ONE SUCH ACTIVITY, CONTROLLED LARGELY BY AUTOMATIC PROCESSES”
• OVER-LEARNED HABITS BECOME SO AUTOMATIC THAT THEY ESSENTIALLY BECOME COMPULSIVE