Psychology

Psychology can be termed as, the study of the mind, in how individuals think and reason, of individual’s behaviour, disturbed behaviour and the study of mental illness (Gross 2010). Sociology is said to be an orderly study of the human, social world or human society, in that it examines human beings in the social world (Barry and Yuill 2012).
According to BBC Health (2012) it is estimated that two million individuals in the United Kingdom (UK) have an addiction of some form. Orford (nd) comments that there are numerous forms of addiction, shopping, gambling, drugs or eating. Addiction is a major issue in the UK which is caused by a range of characteristics. Steele (2007) has said that individual’s take substances to modify their conscious awareness through its effect on the mind. Addiction can cause serious, long-term harm both psychologically and physically, including social and emotional problems and even death.

Psychologists have studied the reasons why individuals respond in a certain approach in different situations, and why individuals behave in the way they do (Banyard et al 2010). In February 2012 it was reported that Whitney Houston (WH) died through having an addictive behaviour which attracted considerable media attention (Sullivan 2012).   In the reporting came individual’s personal commentaries that WH chose to be an addict therefore; was responsible for her own death. Within this statement evolved a psychological difficulty identified as the attribution error (Ogden 2004).  

The attribution process was first examined by Heider (1958) cited in Gross (2010) where it was demonstrated that individuals tend to make attributions quickly, grounded on very little evidence, and show clear inclinations to offer certain types of explanations for certain behaviours.   Individuals will victim blame the person rather than circumstances when misfortune occurs (ibid).   In the opinion of individuals, moral things happen to good people, and evil things to bad...