Problematic Engagement Research Articles

A meta-analysis of self-regulation and digital recreation from birth to adolescence

There is good reason to implicate self-regulation in our digital recreation duration, choices, and behaviours. However, the direction, degree, and diversity of their association is unclear. To offer more robust and nuanced evidence to this issue of acute public concern, the current study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of the associations between self-regulation and digital recreation from birth to adolescence – consolidating 183 studies reporting 232 associations from 234,476 children and adolescents. Across these studies, digital recreation clustered into investigations of screen time, features of problematic digital engagement, exposure to violent content, communicating with strangers online, sexting, and media multitasking. Although a pattern of negative bivariate associations was observed between self-regulation and aspects of digital recreation, the strength of association for screen time was weak (r = −.04 for computer use to r = −.15 for social media use). Once control variables were considered, relationships with exposure to violent digital content were rendered similarly trivial, suggesting other variables likely account for these correlations. This reduces our confidence in these associations. In contrast, lower self-regulation was more highly associated with problematic engagement (r = −.28 for problematic gaming to r = −.41 for problematic mobile phone use), communicating with strangers online (r = −.18), and sexting (r = −.20). This pattern of results points to a relationship that is variable by type of digital activity, which in our meta-analyses ranged from null to strong and negative. Where a relationship exists, it may be bi-directional given associations remained for longitudinal studies that positioned either self-regulation or digital recreation as predictor. Most moderators of these associations were non-significant, although the negative association of self-regulation with time spent gaming was increasingly strong with increasing participant age. This study instigates a disentangling of the nature of the relationship between self-regulation and digital choices and behaviours across the early stages of life.

The influence of therapy quality on outcomes from behavioural activation and guided self-help treatments for depression in adults with intellectual disabilities.

We report the effect of quality of therapy delivery on outcomes in a randomized, controlled trial of behavioural activation (BA) and guided self-help (GSH) for depression in adults with intellectual disabilities. A study specific measure of quality was used in a linear mixed effect model to determine the effects therapy and therapy quality on therapy outcome. There was a significant interaction between quality and treatment type, with lower quality therapy associated with better outcome for GSH but poorer outcome for BA, with little difference in outcomes at higher levels of therapy quality. Factors suggesting high quality in individualized BA may indicate problematic engagement for GSH. More research into processes in therapy for people with intellectual disabilities is required.

Problematic pornography use and novel patterns of escalating use: A cross-sectional network analysis with two independent samples

Modern internet pornography allows users to harness sexual novelty in numerous ways, which can be used to overcome desensitisation through increasing volume of use (quantitative tolerance), progressing to more stimulating genres (qualitative escalation), skipping between stimuli (tab-jumping), delaying orgasm (‘edging’), and engaging in pornographic binges. However, existing research has not yet evaluated how these potentially reciprocal consumption patterns relate to problematic pornography use (PPU). To this end, we recruited two independent samples of male pornography users (N1 = 1,356, Mage = 36.86, SD = 11.26; N2 = 944, Mage = 38.69, SD = 12.26) and examined the relationships between these behavioural dimensions and self-reported difficulties in controlling one’s pornography use. Data were analysed through the network analysis approach (using Gaussian graphical models). As hypothesised, i) quantitative tolerance was centrally placed within the overall network, and ii) acted as a statistical bridge node between other patterns of pornography use (e.g., pornographic binges), and all measured facets of PPU. Our results are consistent with other emerging literature suggesting that tolerance, pornographic binges, tab-jumping, and edging behaviours as relevant features ofPPU, and that upscaling overall usage may connect broader patterns of use with problematic engagement. Clinical and theoretical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

Scrolls and self-perception, navigating the link between social networks and body dissatisfaction in preadolescents and adolescents: a systematic review

In recent years, the widespread adoption of social media has immersed users in content dominated by conventional beauty ideals and the relentless pursuit of perfection. This pervasive influence has significantly altered the perceptual landscape for young individuals, particularly pre-adolescents and adolescents, shaping their self-evaluations and contributing to distorted notions of beauty. The virtual realm, saturated with carefully curated and idealized images promoting unattainable beauty standards, has intensified concerns about body image. This study aims to comprehensively examine the intricate interplay between social media use and the body image of preadolescents and adolescents. Through a meticulous systematic review of 16 studies, a consistent consensus emerges, highlighting a noteworthy correlation between key variables such as the duration of social media usage, problematic engagement patterns, specific activities within these platforms, and heightened levels of body dissatisfaction.

Understanding University Students' Perspectives towards Digital Tools for Mental Health Support: A Cross-country Study.

Organisational and individual barriers often prevent university students from seeking mental health support. Digital technologies are recognised as effective in managing psychological distress and as a source of health-related information, thus representing useful options to address mental health needs in terms of accessibility and cost-effectiveness. However, university students' experiences and perspectives towards such interventions are little known. We thus aimed to expand the existing base of scientific knowledge, focusing on this special population. Data were from the qualitative component of "the CAMPUS study", longitudinally assessing the mental health of students at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and the University of Surrey (UK). We conducted in-depth interviews and thematically analysed the transcripts using the framework approach. An explanatory model was derived from five themes identified across 33 interviews (15 for Italy, 18 for the UK). Students perceived that social media, apps, and podcasts could deliver relevant mental health content, ranging from primary to tertiary prevention. Wide availability and anonymity were perceived as advantages that make tools suitable for preventive interventions, to reduce mental health stigma, and as an extension of standard treatment. These goals can be hindered by disadvantages, namely lower efficacy compared to face-to-face contact, lack of personalisation, and problematic engagement. Individual and cultural specificities might influence awareness and perspectives on the use of digital technologies for mental health support. Although considering some specific features, digital tools could be a useful instrument to support the mental health needs of students. Since personal contact remains crucial, digital tools should be integrated with face-to-face interventions through a multi-modal approach.

A mathematical model to start a discussion on cybersex addiction

Cybersex is the use of the Internet and its services to achieve sexual arousal and pleasure. This use, however, can become excessive and uncontrolled. Common consequences of a problematic engagement in online sexual activities are the deterioration of real-life romantic relationships and the occurrence of sexual dysfunctions, even in young population. Here, a simplistic mathematical model based on differential equations is proposed to investigate the impact of cybersex on the human population growth. This model is analysed from a dynamical system theory perspective. This study can be presented in a class on differential equations and it can be the starting point for talking about Internet sex addiction.

Distortions in time perception related to videogames, pornography, and TV series exposure: An experimental study in three independent samples.

Time perception is a cognitive process involving both the ability to estimate the duration of an event (time estimation, TE) and the subjective perception of its passage (time passage, TP). Studies show that alteration in TE/TP is associated with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of these alterations in potentially problematic online behaviors. We explore TE and TP while participants were exposed to cues related to videogames, pornography, and TV series, and the relationship of TE and TP with scores from instruments that measure problematic gaming (PG), problematic pornography use (PPU), and problematic binge-watching (BW). Participants from three independent samples (40 men from Luxembourg; 99 Spanish men, 111 Spanish women) completed an experimental task designed to assess TE and TP while they were exposed to short clips related to videogames, pornography, TV series, and documentaries (control condition). Participants also completed different self-reports. Whereas men underestimated the time that they were exposed to pornography and TV series, women overestimated it. For videogames, we showed a consistent pattern of overestimation of time duration. Time was systematically perceived as passing faster while participants were presented with TV series and pornography. Regarding the association between time perception and PG, PPU, and BW, TE did not correlate with any of the indicators of problematic engagement assessed; but TP correlated with several of these indicators. The present preliminary results showed mixed evidence regarding the involvement of time perception in gaming, pornography use, and binge-watching.

Investigation the Intervention Mitigating Problematic Social Media Engagement Among High School Students

Adolescents of 21st century mature in an advancing digital era, where their vulnerabilities are often exposed to a world driven by powerful algorithms. The present study proposes an innovative design scheme that potentially tackles problematic engagement with social media, from both motivational and neurobiological perspectives, with the aim of unveiling the underlying mechanisms regarding social media addiction. This design solution promotes transparency of individuals’ personal usage behaviours through a simple prompt, “why are you here?”, thereby activating individual’s deliberate decisionmaking system. In study I, we conducted a two-phase survey involving 92 high school teenagers and collected empirical data on the correlations between goal-oriented social media use and mental health variables. In addition, a practical design intervention was developed and assessed with 36 participants over ten days to validate its effectiveness. The consequences indicated notable reductions in actual social media engagement time, as well as a decrease in distractedness. This research offers a novel motivation-driven digital behaviour and contributes to the existing empirical database on social media addiction by providing both theoretical insights and practical applications.

What Adolescents Have to Say about Problematic Internet Use: A Qualitative Study Based on Focus Groups.

In this paper, the study presented is designed to gain a deeper insight into how adolescents describe, understand, and suggest dealing with Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Eight focus groups were activated with a total of 70 students from the 9th and 11th grades (Mean Age = 15.53 ± 1.202; Female = 44.4%) in four different schools in Southern Italy. A Thematic Analysis was applied to the verbatim transcripts, and seven macro-categories were identified throughout the discourses collected: definition of PIU, symptomatology, impact, determinants, intervention strategy, opportunities and limits of the digital world, and needs that adolescents try to satisfy by surfing the net and which the offline world does not fulfill. Participants converge in seeing PIU in terms of addiction but adopt heterogeneous viewpoints in talking about the reasons for problematic engagement and possible preventive intervention strategies. In the overall picture emerging from the responses, PIU appeared to be the outcome of a psychological dynamic emerging from the interaction of individual, interpersonal, and sociocultural dimensions.

“Pouring their heart out in Sainsbury’s”: qualitative study of young people’s, parents’ and mental health practitioners’ experiences of adapting to remote online mental health appointments during COVID-19

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies such as videoconferencing were used to deliver mental health appointments remotely online. For many people, this was a change from previous methods of mental healthcare receipt and delivery. We aimed to explore in-depth how practitioners, young people and parents in the UK experienced this transition.MethodsWe used qualitative methods to collect data, triangulating between free-text online survey data (n = 38), focus groups (n = 5) (3 young adult groups (total n = 11); 2 practitioner groups (total n = 7)), and semi-structured interviews (practitioners n = 8; parents n = 4). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants held mixed views about remote appointments, which were encompassed within the five themes of: home as clinic; disrupted therapeutic relationships; difficulties with engagement; uncontained risk; and scope of care provision. While appointments at home could be regarded as more comfortable, naturalistic and accessible, it was also recognised that remoteness compromised practitioner control with consequences for their ability to monitor patient engagement, manage risk and ensure confidentiality when others were present in the home. This could create an additional burden for parents as they tried to facilitate appointments but felt unsupported in this role. Relatedly, remoteness was seen to hinder interpersonal communication, formation of trust, communication of empathy and opportunities to observe body language, all of which were deemed important to building and maintaining effective therapeutic relationships. Despite this, others thought the anonymity of a remote exchange may allow earlier disclosure. There was disagreement as to whether remote provision narrowed or expanded the scope of practice.ConclusionsWhile some had positive views of remote mental health appointments, others found them challenging. Findings highlight key areas requiring attention and mitigation in future offerings of remote provision, namely: risk management, parental burden, and problematic engagement.

A latent profile approach for classifying internet gamers based on motives for online gaming.

Online gaming motives have proven to be useful in differentiating problematic engagement in online gaming. However, the mixture modeling approach for classifying problematic subtypes based on gaming motives remains limited. This study attempted to differentiate heterogeneous online gamers into more homogenous subtypes based on gaming motives using latent profile analysis (LPA). We also compared various psychological and gaming/leisure related variables across the derived profiles. A total of 674 Korean online game users (mean age = 21.81 years, male= 76%) completed self-report questionnaires, including the Korean version of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (K-MOGQ). After the LPA, the relationships between latent profile membership and auxiliary variables were explored. Four latent profiles were identified, that were further classified into one problematic (highly motivated-dissatisfied gamer), one highly engaged (highly motivated-satisfied gamer), and two casual (moderately-motivated casual gamer and lowly-motivated casual gamer) gamer profiles. Inter-profile comparisons revealed that highly motivated-dissatisfied gamer had the most pathological profile, characterized by high Internet gaming disorder (IGD) tendency, neuroticism, and impulsivity, but the lowest recreation motive. While highly motivated-satisfied gamer also demonstrated a heightened IGD tendency, they showed positive patterns of psychological and gaming/leisure-related variables, which indicated they could be better considered as high engaged instead of problematic gamers. These results indicate that the recreation motive, in addition to fantasy or escape motives, is an important factor in differentiating maladaptive online gamers. Classifying online gamers based on gaming motives can contribute to a clearer conceptualization of heterogeneousgamers, paving the way for individualized assessment and treatment planning.

National statutory reporting: not even ticking the boxes? The quality of ‘Learning from Deaths’ reporting in quality accounts within the NHS in England 2017–2020

IntroductionRegulation through statutory reporting is used in healthcare internationally to improve accountability, quality of care and patient safety. Since 2017, within the National Health Service (NHS) in England, NHS Secondary...

Attentional inhibitory control interference related to videogames, pornography, and TV series exposure: An experimental study in three independent samples

Attentional inhibitory control (AIC) is responsible for ignoring salient yet irrelevant stimuli (i.e., distractors) to focus cognitive resources on goal-oriented demands. While the relevance of this cognitive process is well established when it comes to explaining the etiopathogenesis of substance use disorders, few studies have investigated AIC in the context of non-substance-related addictive behaviors. This experimental study focused on exploring the contribution of AIC to understanding problematic engagement in videogames, pornography, and TV series. The main aim of this study was to compare AIC when exposed to these contents and their correlates with different indicators of Gaming Disorder (GD), Problematic Pornography Use (PPU), and binge-watching (BW). Participants from three independent samples (40 men from Luxembourg; 91 men from Spain; and 108 women from Spain) completed an adapted version of the Stroop task designed to measure AIC when exposed to pornography, videogames, and TV series, as well as different self-reports assessing problematic engagement in these activities. Participants experienced more AIC problems –i.e., increased reactions times– when answering the Stroop task while presented with TV series and pornography as distractors, but not when presented with videogames. Furthermore, we only found few anecdotal results supporting the relationship between individual differences in the level of AIC when confronted with these contents and an increased risk of displaying GD, PPU, or BW symptoms. Although preliminary, our results question the notion that AIC may constitute a central process in explaining the initiation and/or maintenance of non-substance-related addictive behaviors.

Disorders due to addictive behaviors: Further issues, debates, and controversies •.

Two recent papers in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions by Brand et al. (2022), and Sassover and Weinstein (2022) both make interesting additions to the place of behavioral addictions in the more general addictive behaviors field. This commentary discusses some of the further nuances in the debates surrounding whether problematic engagement in social networking, pornography, and buying/shopping should be considered as possible ‘disorders due to addictive behaviors’ in the ICD-11. Particular emphasis in this commentary is placed on social network use disorder and its delineation. While there is growing evidence that addictions to sex, pornography, social network sites, exercise, work, and buying/shopping may be genuine disorders among a minority of individuals, none of these behaviors is likely to be included in formal psychiatric manuals in the near future until there is more high-quality data on all research fronts (e.g., epidemiological, neurobiological, psychological, and clinical).

Psychometric assessment of the Bangla version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale

Recently, researchers have raised their concern about problematic engagement in social media use that significantly impacted users’ mental health and daily lives. Therefore, it is important to have a psychometrically sound assessment tool to assess social media addiction. The present study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Bangla version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) for assessing social media addiction among young Bangladeshi adults. In this study, we utilized secondary data that contained information from 577 Bangladeshi university students. Exploratory factor analysis explored a single latent factor, and confirmatory factor analyses supported this structure. Discrimination indices of items in both classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) approach suggested that items could discriminate between low scorers and high scorers in this scale. This scale has good internal consistency, composite, and IRT reliability. Multigroup CFA and differential item functioning bias results suggested this scale would be assessed the same construct across gender and usage duration groups (5 h and more vs less than 5 h). Network analysis results suggested relapse following salience as the core symptoms of social media addiction among young Bangladeshi adults. Overall, results suggested the Bangla BSMAS as a psychometrically sound tool to assess symptoms of social media addiction among young Bangladeshi adults. This scale has practical utility to mental health practitioners as this scale provides information about the core symptoms of social media addiction.

Overconfidence in Managing Health Concerns: The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Health Literacy.

Health literacy is often low within the general population. The Dunning–Kruger effect (DKE) suggests that individuals may experience a cognitive bias in which they overestimate their own knowledge base. This study examines the DKE regarding health literacy and health behaviors. A community sample (n = 504) completed questionnaires measuring objective health literacy, confidence in health knowledge, and health behaviors and medical conditions. Results support the presence of a DKE for health literacy; individuals with low health literacy reported equal or greater confidence in health knowledge than individuals with higher health literacy. Individuals with lower health literacy reported more problematic engagement in health behaviors. Low health literacy can impact engagement in health behavior and effect health outcomes, but individuals may not realize this deficit. Implications for clinical intervention include the need to address cognitive bias and enhance motivation to participate in health literacy interventions.

Spatial political economy: the case of metropolitan industrial policy

Industrial policy has become the focus of much more interest in recent times. Of particular note is mainstream economists’ fascination and their peculiar claims about how and why this new industrial policy promotes growth, redistribution, and sustainability. Such contentions warrant scrutiny. Using metropolitan data, plans, and laws, along with regional and national data from census and survey reports, this paper addresses three questions related to growth, inequality, and sustainability. On the basis of the evidence, collected and interpreted from the lens of original institutional economics, it is argued that industrial policy has been too strictly tied to (urban) economic growth which has not, contrary to expectations, led to ecologically sensitive and inclusive (urban) economic development. Instead, growth policies have cumulatively generated rising urban inequalities and ecological problems in cities and regions. This lack of congruence between the case for, and outcomes from, the pursuit of a particular type of industrial policy can be partly explained by the presence of absentee land ownership. Its entanglements with rent theft, profit seeking, and problematic engagement with persistent inequalities and unsustainability complement the explanation. A different industrial policy could seek to recoup socially-created, but privately appropriated, unearned income, reinvest this resulting revenue in ways that directly build state capacity, address persistent urban inequalities, attend to ecological challenges, and seek to create industries that avoid the problems of ‘progress and poverty’.

An Exploratory Study of Shopping to Relieve Tension or Anxiety in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Perceptions and Behaviors.

The desire to escape from pressures/anxiety represents an important motivation for problematic engagement with short-term rewarding behaviors that could contribute to the development of recognized and candidate behavioral addictions, including problematic shopping, a prevalent condition among youth in the U.S.A. characterized by excessive shopping cognitions/behaviors that lead to distress/impairment. However, to date, the specific correlates of shopping to relieve anxiety or tension have yet to be evaluated. We aimed at addressing this gap by analyzing data (N = 2556) from a high-school survey from Connecticut in an exploratory fashion. Adolescents who acknowledged experiencing a growing tension or anxiety that could only be relieved by shopping were classified as having negative-reinforcement shopping and compared to the remaining students. Data were analyzed in chi-square and logistic regression models to examine negative-reinforcement shopping in relation to socio-demographics, health correlates, gambling-related perceptions/attitudes, and problem-gambling severity/gambling behaviors. Negative-reinforcement shopping was more frequent in female and Hispanic students, was linked to more permissive gambling attitudes and at-risk/problematic gambling, and was associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs, dysphoria/depression, and weapon-carrying and physical fighting. Taken together, these findings highlight adverse measures of health and functioning linked to negative-reinforcement shopping that may be particularly relevant to girls and Hispanic youth. Additional efforts to prevent negative outcomes are warranted.

Followers' problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective

Following social media influencers is a common activity for social media users. As influencers endeavour to engage followers and increase their power of influence for commercial value, it can result in potential negative consequences to followers' wellbeing. This research explored how social media influencing may cause problematic engagement with influencers. To do so, we drew from attachment theory and used mixed methods, including a Delphi study and a survey with 500 Instagram users. Results suggested that influencer characteristics such as physical attractiveness, social attractiveness, and self-presence, as well as followers' participation comprehensiveness can foster followers' problematic engagement through the mediation of bond- and identity-based attachment (i.e., parasocial relationship and sense of belonging). Importantly, following more influencers weakened the effect of sense of belonging on problematic engagement, but not that of parasocial relationship. Overall, this study sheds light on negative aspects of social media influencing and provides useful insights to gauge social media influencers’ engagement tactics for a healthy follower behaviour and influencer outcomes.

Two Jungs: Two Sciences?

Abstract Two tendencies co-exist within the field of analytical psychology. The first is to locate Jung’s psychology within the established bounds of official science (by for example insisting on its implicit consistency with orthodox scientific findings). The second is to make claims that Jung’s psychology is extra- (or super-) scientific. It seems to me however that neither approach can do justice to the difficulty of the problem Jung has set us. In order to develop a third approach I place Jung’s problematic engagement with science into a creative encounter with the philosophical ideas of Deleuze & Guattari. The French philosophers distinguish two contrasting ways of doing science: “Royal” or “state” science privileges the fixed, stable and constant. “Nomad” or “minor” science emphasizes the malleable, fluid, and metamorphic nature of being. These are not alternatives but “ontologically, a single field of interaction” (Deleuze & Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, p. 367). When it comes to Jung’s writings on science, the irredeemable ambiguity of his psychology shows up in what appear to be two contradictory approaches. One highlights the intrinsically scientific nature of his project and insists upon his empiricism. The other takes the form of a profound and relentless critique of the materialistic, reductive and rationalistic assumptions Jung finds behind the scientific approach. My suggestion here is that the dynamic tension between these two opposing visions of science that forms the crucial condition for the on-going individuation of his psychology.