Which model views addiction as a medical condition requiring treatment rather than a personal failing?

• A. Moral model
• B. Disease model
• C. Deviant model
• D. Social learning model

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is how addiction is framed as a medical issue versus a personal failing. The disease model treats addiction as a medical condition—often described as a chronic brain disease involving genetic and neurochemical changes that affect reward and self-control. This view sees relapse as part of the illness rather than a moral failure, and it emphasizes treatment, including medical and evidence-based therapies (like medication-assisted treatment and counseling). This is why it’s considered the best answer: it shifts the problem from a character flaw to a health issue that can and should be treated. In contrast, the moral model attributes addiction to personal weakness or immoral choice; the deviant model labels it as behavior that deviates from social norms; and the social learning model focuses on learned behaviors within social contexts. While those perspectives offer useful insights, they don’t center on medical treatment in the way the disease model does.