Risk Decision Making Behavior Of Heroin Addicts Base On Prospect Theory Gambling Task

Drug addicts always need to face a “yes” or “no” choice to deal with their drug craving, which involves all aspects of decision-making behavior. The phenomenon like high relapse rate, substance addicts initiatively to relapse and feel self control decline are related to decision making. Decision-making obstruction mainly involves: the abnormal processing for the future result and significant discounts of the future benefit, the adjustment ability decline of short-term benefit and long-term benefit, improper choice based on the size of the probability, and weaken ability of integrate results by changing choice framework. The factors influencing people to make decisions in prospect theory is currency value, probability, problem expression context and comprehensive internal processing of the first three factor by decision maker. Base on that, this research uses two gambling tasks according to prospect theory, is to find out the trait of the heroin abstinent? risk decision making and if there is a sensitivity difference between heroin abstinent and normal healthy control.This research includes two experiments, experiment one selected 33 male heroin addicts and 35 health controls who got age, education level and other aspect matched. Under gain frame, experiment using gambling paradigm and was divided into zero expectation situation and positive expectation situation according to the results of mathematical expectation, and participants were asked to make money as much as possible for experimental purposes.Experiment two selected 34 male heroin addicts and 34 health controls who got age, education level and other aspect matched. Under lost frame, experiment task using gambling paradigm and divided into zero expectation situation and positive expectation situation according to the results of mathematical expectation, and participants were asked to lose money as less as possible for experimental purposes.Result shows:Under gain frame, in same expectation situation heroin addicts and health controls show significant differences on risk preference select and average RT, heroin addicts have higher risk seeking rate and average RT than health controls; in different expectation situations, the two group participants show significant differences on risk preference select, but no significant differences on average RT.Under lost frame, in same expectation situation heroin addicts and health controls show significant difference on risk preference select and average RT, heroin addicts have higher risk seeking rate and average RT than health controls; in different expectation situation, the two group participants show significant different on risk preference select and average RT.Research conclusion:(1)No matter on gain or lost frame, heroin abstinence show more risk seeking tendency than normal health.(2)No matter on gain or lost frame, heroin abstinence have longer average response time compare with normal health, and on lost frame heroin abstinence show significant difference to normal health on sensibility to lost.(3)The overall trend of Heroin abstinence risk decision making behavior follows the prospect theory, shows risk aversion tendency in gain frame and show risk seeking tendency in lost frame...