Only a decade ago, addictive behavior was defined as chemical dependence on alcohol or opiates. As each addictive drug was seen as unique, the professional and scientific disciplines investigating them worked in relative isolation. Moreover, while physiological, psychological, behavioral, and social factors were recognized as important in the etiology of addiction, these domains were not integrated into a unified model.
Now, a more "generic" view of addictions is emerging. As analyzed in Assessment Of Addictive Behaviors, similar processes occur across a wide range of behaviors, such as drinking, smoking, eating, and drug use. With this broadened view, research has shifted from the evaluation of treatment interventions to more process-oriented studies of the multiple factors contributing to the maintenance of, and relapse to, addictive behaviors. As research is becoming increasingly integrated across disciplines, addiction now may be defined as an interactive product of learning in a setting involving physiological events as they are interpreted, labeled, and given meaning by the individual.