Hijacked Brain Slides HIJACKED BRAIN
The Science of Susceptibility & Addiction
Initial Assessment
Is addiction a Choice, a Disease, or Bad Luck?
Choice
Rooted in willpower, decisions, and individual agency.
Disease
A chronic medical condition involving brain chemistry changes.
Bad Luck
Environmental trauma or genetic hand dealt at birth.
The Biological Mechanism
"What causes addiction, and why is it so hard to treat?"
03:24 - END
Embedded media
Watch For:
Specific genetic markers and the role of brain development before age 18.
Think About:
How do biological traits interact with life experiences?
The Neural Power Struggle
Cortex
The "Thinking" Brain
Deliberate decisions
Impulse control
Long-term planning
"Influence decreases during repeated substance use."
SHIFT
Subcortex
The "Habit" Brain
Immediate impulses
Habit learning
Survival instincts
"Influence increases, leading to loss of control."
Socratic Seminar: The Trifecta
Which factor is most critical to address for addiction prevention?
Genetics
Inherited traits, receptor sensitivity, and biological resistance.
Environment
Trauma, mental health, and social/support structures.
Age
Pre-18 development and reward pathway sensitivity.
Epigenetics: The interaction between all three.
Brain Wiring Lab Notes Brain Wiring Lab Notes
Topic: Susceptibility & Neuroplasticity in Addiction
Name
Date
The Hook: Choice, Disease, or Bad Luck?
Briefly record your initial thoughts on the prompt: "Is addiction a Choice, a Disease, or Bad Luck?" Which perspective is most prevalent in society today?
Technical Mechanisms: Video Notes
Tolerance vs. Dependence
The Nucleus Accumbens (Reward Pathway)
Cortex vs. Subcortex Shift
Speed of Delivery (e.g., Vaping)
The Susceptibility Matrix
Note evidence for each factor from the video and your own knowledge.
Genetics (Nature)
Environment (Nurture)
Age/Development
Critical Reflection
Refute the following statement using evidence from the lesson: "If you have the addiction gene, you are doomed to be an addict." Incorporate the concept of neuroplasticity and environmental interaction.
Psychology Lab Resource Unit: Substance Abuse Disorders Ref: Grisel (2021)
Factor Faceoff Cards Factor Faceoff Cards
Socratic Seminar Discussion Prompts & Evidence
Team Nature: The Inherited Blueprint
Evidence from Video
• Nicotine Receptors: Specific genes can make receptors more sensitive to nicotine, making withdrawal more difficult.
• Alcohol Resistance: Some genes slow down alcohol breakdown, creating unpleasant side effects that deter use.
• Baseline Variation: People vary naturally in their susceptibility due to genetically inherited traits.
Seminar Challenge Questions
"If the hardware (brain) is fundamentally different at birth, can prevention ever be 100% effective without genetic intervention?"
Add external knowledge (e.g., family history studies, twins studies)...
Team Nurture: The Living Map
Evidence from Video
• Trauma & Mental Health: Life experiences and underlying psychological conditions increase susceptibility.
• Recovery Context: Treatment requires safe, supportive environments and relearning associations.
• Equilibrium: The brain adapts to the regular presence of substances based on environmental usage patterns.
Seminar Challenge Questions
"Even with 'bad' genes, if a person never experiences trauma or environmental triggers, would addiction ever manifest?"
Add external knowledge (e.g., socio-economic factors, ACES study)...
Team Development: The Neural Clock
Evidence from Video
• The Under-18 Threshold: Using substances before 18 is a massive risk factor for lifelong disorder.
• Pathway Sensitivity: Younger brains have reward pathways that are hyper-sensitive to dopamine hits.
• Adaptive Ability: The brain is most "plastic" and adaptable during youth, meaning habits bake in faster.
Seminar Challenge Questions
"If we perfectly protected every brain until age 21, would addiction rates plummet regardless of genetics or trauma?"
Add external knowledge (e.g., adolescent prefrontal cortex development)...
Dialogue Standards Rubric Assessment Tool
Dialogue Standards Rubric
Psychology Socratic Seminar: The Addiction Debate
Criteria Mastery (4) Proficient (3) Emerging (2-1) Evidence Integration
| Consistently cites specific data from the Grisel video and external psychological theories (e.g., Epigenetics). | Uses general concepts from the video to support claims; occasionally cites external knowledge. | Claims are primarily based on personal opinion; little to no reference to specific video evidence. |
|
Socratic Questioning
| Poses insightful, open-ended questions that challenge others' logic and deepen the neural-mechanism analysis. | Asks clarifying questions or prompts others to elaborate on their stance regarding nature vs. nurture. | Questions are superficial or closed-ended; limited engagement with others' perspectives. |
|
Collaborative Dialogue
| Actively builds upon or politely refutes specific peer statements; facilitates a balanced group flow. | Responds directly to peer comments; waits for natural pauses to speak; stays on topic. | Dominates conversation or remains silent; interrupts peers; shifts topic away from prompt. |
|
Conceptual Synthesis
| Correctly synthesizes the roles of Cortex, Subcortex, and susceptibility factors to explain the complexity of addiction. | Identifies the difference between Cortex/Subcortex and acknowledges multiple risk factors. | Struggles to articulate the biological mechanisms behind addiction or vulnerability. |
Teacher Notes / Peer Feedback
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