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Background and aims

The phenomenon of Internet pornography (IP) addiction is gainingincreasing attention in the popular media and psychological research.What has not been tested empirically is how frequency and amount ofIP use, along with other individual characteristics, are related tosymptoms of IP addiction.

Methods

105 female and 86 male university students (mean age 21) from Calgary,Canada, were administered measures of IP use, psychosocial functioning(anxiety and depression, life and relationship satisfaction), addictivepropensities, and addictive IP use.

Results

Men reported earlier age of exposure and more frequent currentIP use than women. Individuals not in relationships reported morefrequent use than those in relationships. Frequency of IP use wasnot generally correlated with psychosocial functioning but was significantlypositively correlated with level of IP addiction. Higher level ofIP addiction was associated with poorer psychosocial functioning andproblematic alcohol, cannabis, gambling and, in particular, videogame use. A curvilinear association was found between frequency ofIP use and level of addiction such that daily or greater IP use wasassociated with a sharp rise in addictive IP scores.

Discussion

The failure to find a strong significant relationship between IPuse and general psychosocial functioning suggests that the overalleffect of IP use is not necessarily harmful in and of itself. Addictiveuse of IP, which is associated with poorer psychosocial functioning,emerges when people begin to use IP daily.

Open access

Personal choice is a nuanced concept – Lessons learned from the gambling field

Commentary on: Problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies: A Stakeholder framework to minimize harms (Swanton et al., 2019)

Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Author:
David C. Hodgins

Abstract

This thoughtful framework to minimize the harm associated with emerging technologies by encouraging collaborations among stakeholders would benefit from adopting the WHO precautionary principle in order to keep public health issues at the core of discussions. It would also be helpful to acknowledge and make transparent the differences in stakeholder priorities, the power differentials among stakeholders, and the importance of institutional duty of care.

Open access

Background and aims

The aims of this study were (a) to describe the prevalence of single versus multiple addiction problems in a large representative sample and (b) to identify distinct subgroups of people experiencing substance-related and behavioral addiction problems.

Methods

A random sample of 6,000 respondents from Alberta, Canada, completed survey items assessing self-attributed problems experienced in the past year with four substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) and six behaviors (gambling, eating, shopping, sex, video gaming, and work). Hierarchical cluster analyses were used to classify patterns of co-occurring addiction problems on an analytic subsample of 2,728 respondents (1,696 women and 1032 men; M age = 45.1 years, SD age = 13.5 years) who reported problems with one or more of the addictive behaviors in the previous year.

Results

In the total sample, 49.2% of the respondents reported zero, 29.8% reported one, 13.1% reported two, and 7.9% reported three or more addiction problems in the previous year. Cluster-analytic results suggested a 7-group solution. Members of most clusters were characterized by multiple addiction problems; the average number of past year addictive behaviors in cluster members ranged between 1 (Cluster II: excessive eating only) and 2.5 (Cluster VII: excessive video game playing with the frequent co-occurrence of smoking, excessive eating and work).

Discussion and conclusions

Our findings replicate previous results indicating that about half of the adult population struggles with at least one excessive behavior in a given year; however, our analyses revealed a higher number of co-occurring addiction clusters than typically found in previous studies.

Open access

Background and aims

To date, no research has examined the viability of using behavioral tasks typical of cognitive and neuropsychology within addiction populations through online recruitment methods. Therefore, we examined the reliability and validity of three behavioral tasks of impulsivity common in addiction research in a sample of individuals with a current or past history of problem gambling recruited online.

Methods

Using a two-stage recruitment process, a final sample of 110 participants with a history of problem or disordered gambling were recruited through MTurk and completed self-report questionnaires of gambling involvement symptomology, a Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Cued Go/No-Go Task, and the UPPS-P.

Results

Participants demonstrated logically consistent responding on the DDT. The area under the empirical discounting curve (AUC) ranged from 0.02 to 0.88 (M = 0.23). The BART demonstrated good split-third reliability (ρs = 0.67 to 0.78). The tasks generally showed small correlations with each other (ρs = ±0.06 to 0.19) and with UPPS-P subscales (ρs = ±0.01 to 0.20).

Discussion and conclusions

The behavioral tasks demonstrated good divergent validity. Correlation magnitudes between behavioral tasks and UPPS-P scales and mean scores on these measures were generally consistent with the existing literature. Behavioral tasks of impulsivity appear to have utility for use with problem and disordered gambling samples collected online, allowing researchers a cost efficient and rapid avenue for conducting behavioral research with gamblers. We conclude with best-practice recommendations for using behavioral tasks using crowdsourcing samples.

Open access

Abstract

Objectives

When individuals recover from gambling disorder, their involvement in other potentially addictive substances and behaviors may also subsequently increase (substitution) or decrease (concurrent recovery). The objectives of this study were to identify and compare recovery processes associated with substitution and concurrent recovery in gambling disorder.

Methods

A mixed-method study was conducted with 185 people who were recovered from gambling disorder. Semi-structured interviews were used to: (i) establish onset and recovery of gambling disorder as well as other substance and behavioral addictions; and (ii) assess processes (e.g., reasons, emotional state, helpfulness) associated with addiction substitution and concurrent recovery. Participants also completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, gambling behaviors, and psychological characteristics to compare demographic and clinical differences between participants who engaged in addiction substitution, concurrent recovery, or neither (controls).

Results

The most frequently reported reason for engaging in addiction substitution was as a substitute coping mechanism. The most reported reason for engaging in concurrent recovery was due to the addictions being mutually influenced. Negative emotional states were common when engaging in both addiction substitution and concurrent recovery. Although the three groups did not differ on gambling characteristics, addiction substitution was associated with greater underlying vulnerabilities including childhood adversity, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and, maladaptive coping skills.

Conclusion

Transdiagnostic treatments that target the underlying mechanisms of addictions may reduce the likelihood of engaging in addiction substitution.

Open access
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Authors:
Simone Rodda
,
Stephanie S. Merkouris
,
Charles Abraham
,
David C. Hodgins
,
Sean Cowlishaw
, and
Nicki A. Dowling

Background and aims

To date, no systematic approach to identifying the content and characteristics of psychological interventions used to reduce gambling or problem gambling has been developed. This study aimed to develop a reliable classification system capable of identifying intervention characteristics that could, potentially, account for greater or lesser effectiveness.

Methods

Intervention descriptions were content analyzed to identify common and differentiating characteristics. A coder manual was developed and applied by three independent coders to identify the presence or absence of defined characteristics in 46 psychological and self-help gambling interventions.

Results

The final classification taxonomy, entitled Gambling Intervention System of CharacTerization (GIST), included 35 categories of intervention characteristics. These were assigned to four groups: (a) types of change techniques (18 categories; e.g., cognitive restructuring and relapse prevention), (b) participant and study characteristics (6 categories; e.g., recruitment strategy and remuneration policy), and (c) characteristics of the delivery and conduct of interventions (11 categories; e.g., modality of delivery and therapist involvement), and (d) evaluation characteristics (e.g., type of control group). Interrater reliability of identification of defined characteristics was high (κ = 0.80–1.00).

Discussion

This research provides a tool that allows systematic identification of intervention characteristics, thereby enabling consideration, not only of whether interventions are effective or not, but also of which domain-relevant characteristics account for greater or lesser effectiveness. The taxonomy also facilitates standardized description of intervention content in a field in which many diverse interventions have been evaluated.

Conclusion

Application of this coding tool has the potential to accelerate the development of more efficient and effective therapist-delivered and self-directed interventions to reduce gambling problems.

Open access

Abstract

Background and aims

The Brief Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addictions (SSBAs) was developed to assess a common addiction construct across four substances (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine), and six behaviors (gambling, shopping, videogaming, eating, sexual activity, and working) using a lay epidemiology perspective. This paper extends our previous work by examining the predictive utility of the SSBA to identify self-attributed addiction problems.

Method

Participants (N = 6,000) were recruited in Canada using quota sampling methods. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROCs) analyses were conducted, and thresholds established for each target behavior's subscale to predict self-attributed problems with these substances and behaviors. For each substance and behavior, regression models compared overall classification accuracy and model fit when lay epidemiologic indicators assessed using the SSBA were compared with validated screening measures to predict selfattributed problems.

Results

ROC analyses indicted moderate to high diagnostic accuracy (Area under the curves (AUCs) 0.73–0.94) across SSBA subscales. Thresholds for identifying self-attributed problems were 3 for six of the subscales (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, shopping, and gaming), and 2 for the remaining four behaviors (gambling, eating, sexual activity, and working). Compared to other instruments assessing addiction problems, models using the SSBA provided equivalent or better model fit, and overall had higher classification accuracy in the prediction of self-attributed problems.

Discussion and conclusions

The SSBA is a viable screening tool for problematic engagement across ten potentially addictive behaviors. Where longer screening tools are not appropriate, the SSBA may be used to identify individuals who would benefit from further assessment.

Open access

Background and aims

In the present research, we experimentally investigated whether the experience of winning (i.e., inflated payout rates) in a social casino game influenced social casino gamers’ subsequent decision to gamble for money. Furthermore, we assessed whether facets of dispositional impulsivity – negative and positive urgency in particular – also influenced participants’ subsequent gambling.

Methods

Social casino gamers who were also current gamblers (N = 318) were asked to play a social casino game to assess their perceptions of the game in exchange for $3. Unbeknownst to them, players were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: winning (n = 110), break-even (n = 103), or losing (n = 105). After playing, participants were offered a chance to gamble their $3 renumeration in an online roulette game.

Results

A total of 280 participants (88.1%) elected to gamble, but no between-condition variation in the decision to gamble emerged. Furthermore, there were no differences in gambling on the online roulette between condition. However, higher levels of both negative and positive urgency increased the likelihood of gambling. Finally, impulsivity did not moderate the relationship between experience of winning and decision to gamble.

Conclusion

The results suggest that dispositional factors, including impulsive urgency, are implicated in the choice to gamble for social casino gamers following play.

Open access
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Authors:
Jonathan David
,
Hyoun S. Kim
,
David C. Hodgins
,
Samantha J. Dawson
,
Nassim Tabri
,
N. Will Shead
, and
Matthew T. Keough

Abstract

Background

Compulsive buying-shopping is recognised as a significant mental health concern, yet its aetiology is largely understudied. A known risk factor for compulsive buying-shopping is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are also associated with greater problems regulating emotions, as well as depression and anxiety. These factors are also known to be associated with compulsive buying-shopping problems. In this study, we aimed to test a serial mediation model in which ACEs were associated with compulsive buying-shopping problems via emotion dysregulation, and then emotional psychopathology (depression, anxiety).

Methods

We tested this model cross-sectionally in two large samples (N = 1,868 & 4,742) to evaluate the robustness of the model. Both samples completed self-report measures of ACEs, emotional dysregulation, compulsive buying, depression, and anxiety symptoms.

Results

We found support for indirect effects, and all results were consistent for both samples. ACEs predicted greater emotion dysregulation, which then predicted greater depression and anxiety. In turn, anxiety (but not depression) predicted compulsive buying symptoms.

Discussion and conclusions

Emotion dysregulation and anxiety consistently mediated the relationship between ACEs and compulsive buying symptoms. Both emotion dysregulation and anxiety represent malleable targets in clinical interventions for compulsive buying-shopping problems. Our findings also suggest that anxiety may be a stronger predictor of compulsive buying compared to depression, which may be an important avenue for future researchers to investigate.

Open access
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Authors:
Jakob Jonsson
,
David C. Hodgins
,
Axel Lyckberg
,
Shawn Currie
,
Matthew M. Young
,
Ståle Pallesen
, and
Per Carlbring

Abstract

Background and aims

Lower-risk recommendations for avoiding gambling harm have been developed as a primary prevention measure, using self-reported prevalence survey data. The aim of this study was to conduct similar analyses using gambling company player data.

Methods

The sample (N = 35,753) were Norsk Tipping website customers. Gambling indicators were frequency, expenditure, duration, number of gambling formats and wager. Harm indicators (financial. social, emotional, harms in two or more areas) were derived from the GamTest self-assessment instrument. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were performed separately for each of the five gambling indicators for each of the four harm indicators.

Results

ROC areas under the curve were between 0.55 and 0.68. Suggested monthly lower-risk limits were less than 8.7 days, expenditure less than 54 €, duration less than 72–83 min, number of gambling formats less than 3 and wager less than 118–140€. Most risk curves showed a rather stable harm level up to a certain point, from which the increase in harm was fairly linear.

Discussion

The suggested lower-risk limits in the present study are higher than limits based on prevalence studies. There was a significant number of gamblers (5–10%) experiencing harm at gambling levels well below the suggested cut-offs and the risk increase at certain consumption levels.

Conclusions

Risk of harm occurs at all levels of gambling involvement within the specific gambling commercial environment assessed in an increasingly available gambling market where most people gamble in multiple commercial environments, minimizing harm is important for all customers.

Open access