The Radical Addiction Experiment Bruce Alexander is a man who believes addiction is more cultural than chemical. His experiments were to prove that addiction was more of a psychological problem, not a physical problem. Alexander further investigated a PET study. Instead of studying the drug addiction of rats in small cages, Alexander and his partners built a “Rat Park.” The park was two-hundred square feet. They built a happier surrounding to test if rats would still prefer to get high in a better environment. During what they called the “Seduction condition,” sixteen rats visited the happy park. The other sixteen rats were cramped in a cage. Both environments consisted of regular tap water and water laced with morphine and sucrose. This method resulted in the Rat…show more content… Again, he separated the rats. The addicted rats were kept in either the cage or the park for fifty-seven days, with only the water laced with morphine. After, the researchers allowed the rats to choose between tap or laced water. The results included the caged rats still prefered laced water over tap, and the park residents decreased their use of laced water. Therefore, when a rat is comfortable in their home, they have a far less desire for addictive drugs. On another note, the significance of this experiment isn’t the park alone, but what the experiment led to. Alexander’s experiment was used in famous surveys, studies of cancer patients, and other research studies. Most significantly, his experiments helped study the effects of environment on human physiology. However, even with the significance, there is still controversy. Emma Lowry, a girl that lives in an environment that is like the “Rat Park,” is unable to quit her drug addiction. For example, when she tries to cut down the paste, she experiences great withdrawal along with pain. Emma wants relief more than anything. Unfortunately, she just can’t seem to reach it, even when living in an environment that
