AP Psychology Students Participate in Addiction Simulation

An addiction is never easy to overcome. Students in Spanish Fork High School’s AP psychology class learned this the hard way. The assignment was to live an addiction for 48 hours. Each student was required to have a three foot long piece of twine touching their skin at all times for the length of the simulation. This was to signify the outward signs of addiction such as needle marks. Not to mention, it was a constant reminder of the addiction, because it was uncomfortable. The addiction itself was to have a red or blue colored ice cube in any sort of liquid that they drank, with the only exceptions being medicine, soup, and cereal. Every waking hour they were required to log the happenings of their addiction, how they felt, what happened, etc. Students could choose to quit at anytime but were encouraged to go for the full 48 hours. For many students this simulation was the first contact with addiction. On Monday, December 6, the AP class regrouped and related personal stories of the addiction in a mock AA meeting. A few tears were shed as some students explained that they now understood how some of their loved ones felt as they fought to overcome addictions they’re facing. The simulation brought real understanding to lives of an addict and why they do the things they do. The simulation was a real struggle to keep secret from loved ones. The IceKube experiment was successful for every student who participated. All were impacted and now understand the anxiety a real addict endures every day. Jared Tuckett, a senior in the class said, “It was a very eye-opening experience. I didn’t think the simulation would come close to comparing to an actual addiction, but it really affected me.” The class definitely learned a life-long lesson that will hopefully help them to make a difference in their community.