Abstract
The uncontrolled use of specific Internet applications is increasingly recognized as a mental health issue. Gaming disorder, which is one subtype of specific Internet-use disorders (sIUDs), has been included in the ICD-11 as disorder due to addictive behaviors. Addictive disorders are assumed to be accompanied by cognitive deficits as indicated by weaker performance in executive function and risky decision-making tasks. This study investigates risky decision-making in individuals with tendencies towards sIUDs including gaming, online buying-shopping, and social-networks-use disorders. A total of 293 individuals participated in the study. Based on specific screening instruments, the participants were assigned to a group with tendencies towards sIUD or a control group. Participants completed a risky decision-making task and questionnaires assessing risk-taking propensity, impulsivity, psychopathology, and perceived stress. The group with sIUD tendencies showed higher attentional impulsivity and higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to the control group. The groups did not differ in decision making and risk propensity. Decision making did not have significant effects on sIUD symptoms. Risk for developing sIUDs does not appear to be accompanied by altered general decision-making tendencies. Rather, psychological (pre-)load and attentional deficits appear to be relevant features in uncontrolled use of the Internet.
Highlights
Making advantageous decisions is an everyday challenge
This study investigated decision-making and risk propensity in specific Internet-use disorders (sIUDs)
Risky decision-making tendencies were assessed with a behavioral measure (CLT) and a self-report measure (RPS) that were compared between individuals with a tendency towards an sIUD
Summary
In the short and long term, have beneficial and detrimental consequences. Many consequences are hardly noticeable or very subjective. They are associated with an assessment of resources to select actions most likely to lead to rewards in the near or distant future [1]. Accumulated decisions represent a decision tendency whose consequences become noticeable. Addictive behaviors are assumed to represent decision tendencies in which long-term negative consequences are neglected or disregarded in favor of short-term gratification (e.g., [2]). Decisions to perform specific behaviors (e.g., gaming) may be guided by two interacting neural systems: an impulsive system, which is mainly based on associative learning, and a reflective system, which is mainly associated with executive functions and reasoning [3,4,5]. Prefrontal-cortex-related cognitive/inhibitory control is necessary to resist temptations to reach higher-order goals
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