zushi's place

For different cravings, biology seem to operate on different models.

In the replenishment model, a craving that's satisfied won't come up again unless it's been a while since it's last fulfilled. An example here would be drinking water.

In the dependence model, a craving that's satisfied will cause the next craving to come up sooner or stronger. Addictive illicit drugs are the most obvious example here.

What mechanisms determine whether a craving fall into one or the other? This is something I'm kind of curious about. When mistaking these models, it's easy to think video game causes addiction to violence, or that social media doesn't cause dependence.

—

Categorized under: #psychology #speculation