Wilson Valarezo

Do you think the rational actor model is applicable to understanding addictive

behavior?

There is an attempt by multiple disciplines to understand addictive behavior. The

underlying assumptions made about addictive behavior has major implications on how
polices are constructed and implemented. The rational actor model is an attempt by
economist to understand how people make decisions. Addictive behavior requires an
individual to engage in a decision-making process and therefore the rational actor model
is applicable in understanding addictive behavior.
Rational actor model assumes that individuals have set preferences that individual
will always prefer among alternative choices. The actor is said to be behaving rationally
when their behavior results in obtaining or behaving in a way that maximizes pleasures
according to their set preferences. An actor that as an addiction will have strong desire
towards whatever they are addicted to. This strong desire will always be the preferred
outcome for the actor. Therefore when the actor is deciding whether or not to perform a
behavior, even if it is detrimental towards their well being, will always choose their
strongest desire. Therefore the actor is acting rationally. The rational actor model
provides us with a way to understand how a strong desire that an addiction induces sets a
preference that the actor will dictate their behavior that produces that outcome.
Rationality is anything that is consistent with set preferences and maximizing
utility. Since utility is subjective, a person who might be experiencing withdrawal
symptoms might consider taking a hit of a drug in order to take away the pain. For that

individual, it is rational to take the hit because it would alleviate withdrawal symptoms
and that is consistent with the pain/pleasure principle in which humans prefer pleasure
over pain.
Those who oppose that the rational actor model helps understand addictive
behavior argue that the model is too simple and is not applicable in real life. I would
argue that the rational actor model never attempts to claim that it is meant to consider all
the complexities and nuances that real life might have. In fact models are meant to be
simplified representations of reality that allows someone to more easily observe causes
and consequences.

A survey of researchers with peer-reviewed publications on rational addiction theory

found 39% of them agreeing that the rational addiction literature provides insights into
how addicts choose that are relevant for psychologists and treatment professionals,
while 56% agreed that the literature contains insights on the welfare consequences of
addictive goods and public policies toward these (Henden, Melberg, Rogeberg, 2013).

Researchers find the rational actor model helpful in providing insights into how
addicts make decisions. This is evidence that although the rational actor model is not
fully comprehensive it is still useful in understanding addictive behavior.
Another argument is that an actors preferences are not consistent and therefore
the rational actor models assumptions of set preferences are not applicable. I would
argue that an actors preferences are determined once the rational agent is assumed to
take into account all available information. This includes probabilities of potential costs

and benefits and depending on that a persons preferences will change but will still
remain rational because it is determined by cost-benefit analysis. One example is the fact
that some people will consider the cost of a cigarette pack when buying cigarettes.
Studies have shown that an increase in the price of cigarettes does curtail cigarette
smoking is some smokers (Henden, Melberg, Rogeberg, 2013). This is evidence that an
actor engages in cost-benefit analysis when considering behavior and all information is
considered. All of this can be understood by using the rational actor model in
understanding addictive behavior.
In conclusion, the rational actor model is applicable to understanding addictive
behavior because a rational agent will always try to maximize their utility. An
individuals addiction will always yield the most utility for that person because utility is
subjective. Addiction produces a strong desire and therefore the benefit will almost
always outweigh the cost therefore the individual makes a rational choice to act out that
addictive behavior. Also since rationality is subjective, an individual might perform an
addictive behavior in order to avoid pain and therefore is considered to be acting
rationally.

References
Henden,E.,Melberg,H.O.,&Rogeberg,O.(2013).Addiction:Choiceorcompulsion?
FrontiersinPsychiatry,4(77).doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00077