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Attached to Virtual Dreams: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Daydreaming in the Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Problematic Social Media Use
Abstract
Maladaptive daydreaming describes excessive fantasy activity that interferes with an individual's life. Surprisingly, the precursors of maladaptive daydreaming and its role in excessive involvement in virtual worlds have been scarcely investigated. In the current study, we examined the relationships among attachment styles, maladaptive daydreaming, and problematic social media use (PSMU) in a sample of community-dwelling adults. Eight hundred seventy-seven participants between 18 and 68 years old were recruited via an online survey and asked to fill out self-reported measures on attachment styles, maladaptive daydreaming, and PSMU. Mediation analyses showed that maladaptive daydreaming is a significant mediator in the relationships between preoccupied and fearful attachment styles and PMSU, suggesting that maladaptive daydreaming partly explains the established link between insecure attachment styles and excessive use of social media. Individuals with PSMU fostered by maladaptive daydreaming may benefit from clinical interventions that promote the use of adaptive regulatory strategies to develop feelings of security and self-confidence that may serve to reduce the excessive involvement in social media.
... This relationship could be better understood by considering that MD can serve as a coping strategy to deal with adverse experiences and psychological vulnerabilities (Musetti et al., 2023a). In this regard, Costanzo et al. (2021) found that MD mediated the associations between preoccupied and fearful attachment styles (i.e., anxious attitudes in close relationships that underlie a negative representation of the self; Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991) and PSMU. Thus, individuals high in attachment anxiety might excessively resort on PSMU to maintain vivid fantasies that entail an idealized representation of the self. ...
... Previous research showed that MD is associated with increased PIU (Zsila et al., 2018). However, few empirical studies have examined the relationships between MD and maladaptive engagement in specific Internet platforms (Costanzo et al., 2021;Chirico et al., 2024). Accordingly, the current study aimed to investigate the interrelationships between MD and distinct POBs (i.e., problematic online gambling, problematic online gaming, problematic cybersex, PSMU, problematic online shopping, and cyberchondria). ...
... The positive association between MD with PSMU has been previously observed in the literature (Chirico et al., 2024;Costanzo et al., 2021). It is noteworthy that both MD and PSMU might serve as maladaptive coping strategies for temporary relief from emotional distress and interpersonal difficulties (Brenner et al., 2022;Gioia et al., 2021;Santoro et al., 2024;Somer et al., 2016bSomer et al., , 2016c. ...
Previous evidence showed that Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is positively associated with different Problematic Online Behaviors (POBs). This study aimed to investigate the mutual relationship between MD and several POBs. Data were collected from 1209 participants, aged 18–73 (M = 30.59, SD = 12.26), through self-report questionnaires assessing MD and POBs, including problematic online gambling, problematic online gaming, problematic cybersex, Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), problematic online shopping, and cyberchondria. Two psychometric network analyses were performed to examine the associations between all POBs at item levels, and between MD and POBs at construct levels. Results revealed six distinct communities, supporting the specificity of each POB. Furthermore, MD was found to be more strongly associated with PSMU and cyberchondria, and weakly associated with problematic online gaming, problematic cybersex, and problematic online shopping. The mutual relationships between MD and POBs might have relevant implications for the assessment and treatment of these clinical conditions.
... Additionally, research shows that preoccupied and fearful attachment stylescharacterized by high levels of anxiety embedded in a negative view of the self-are associated with increased levels of PSMU, and that other psychological factors might contribute to explain these relationships. Accordingly, Costanzo and colleagues [47] found that the tendency to excessively resort on fantasy (i.e., maladaptive daydreaming [48]) partially mediated the relationship between preoccupied attachment style and PSMU, and fully mediated the relationship between fearful attachment style and PSMU. Gori and colleagues [49] showed that preoccupied and fearful attachment styles were associated with increased levels of PSMU, and that these relationships were fully mediated by low self-esteem, fear of missing out, and a larger amount of time spent on social media. ...
... Secure attachment style was negatively associated with PSMU, whereas preoccupied and fearful attachment styles were positively associated with PSMU. This finding supports previous literature suggesting that secure attachment may reduce the risk of a maladaptive involvement in social media, and that anxious attachment attitudes, which are rooted in a negative view of the self, may foster PSMU [31,47,49,101]. In fact, individuals with preoccupied or fearful attachment styles may excessively resort to social media platforms in order to alleviate anxiety in social interactions and fulfill their needs of relatedness and self-presentation [42,102,103]. In accordance with previous research [71,72], we also found a positive association between failures in mentalizing and PSMU. ...
... Finally, preoccupied and fearful attachment styles were predictively associated with increased PSMU through the indirect partial effect of failures in mentalizing. These findings extend to previous research showing that the positive relationships between preoccupied attachment style and PSMU, and between fearful attachment style and PSMU, might be explained by different factors, such as the tendency to excessively resort to fantasy [47], low self-esteem [101], the fear of missing out [49], and so on. In fact, anxious attachment attitudes, stemming from a negative view of the self, may foster failures in mentalizing, which in turn may increase the dysfunctional use of social media platforms in order to meet one's own relational needs and to alleviate negative feelings [16,77]. ...
Research shows that insecure attachment styles and failures in mentalizing are associated with increased problematic social media use (PSMU). This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of failures in mentalizing in the relationships between attachment styles and PSMU within a large sample of individuals from the community. The study involved the participation of 3600 adult volunteers (2312 females, 64.2%) aged between 18 and 60 years old (M = 29.92; SD = 10.68). Participants completed measures to assess socio-demographics, adult attachment styles, mentalization, and PSMU. Findings showed that secure and dismissing attachment styles predicted reduced levels of PSMU, and that preoccupied and fearful attachment styles predicted increased levels of PSMU. The relationships between adult attachment styles and PSMU were mediated by failures in mentalizing. Thus, individuals with preoccupied and fearful attachment styles may excessively resort to social media as a means of coping with unprocessed mental states. Clinical interventions that focus on improving mentalizing abilities and promoting the adoption of appropriate self-regulation strategies might reduce maladaptive engagement in social media.
... Recently, MD has been proposed as a form of behavioral addiction, due to its rewarding nature and the individual's need to compulsively repeat the action to reduce MD-associated detrimental effects (Pietkiewicz et al., 2018;Soffer-Dudek et al., 2020). Relatedly, it has shown comorbidities with other addictive behaviors, such as problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU) (Costanzo et al., 2021). ...
... Therefore, problematic social networking sites (SNSs) users may experience a range of addictive-like symptoms, such as salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, relapse, and conflict (Andreassen, 2015). Interestingly, it has been found that in the attempt to manage the distress experienced in close relationships, MDers (i.e., people with MD) may seek to restore and comfort fantasies by showing a fantasized identity on SNSs, thus leading to a higher risk in developing PSNSU (Costanzo et al., 2021). ...
... These repeated efforts could trigger a sense of discrepancy between experienced emotions and outer expression leading, in the long term, to maladaptive responses (e.g., Meyer et al., 2012). On this light, clinicians might encourage MDers to develop more adaptive strategies to regulate emotions, thus decreasing the need to resort to MD. Probable MDers had a higher level of PSNSU, supporting the association between MD and PSNSU, which has already been found in the literature (Costanzo et al., 2021). The authors showed that MD partially mediated the relationship between preoccupied attachment and PSNSU and fully mediated the relationship between fearful attachment and PSNSU. ...
The present study investigated the patterns of mutual associations between maladaptive daydreaming-related variables (MD, i.e., interference with life and somatosensory retreat), psychopathological symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, obsessive–compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism), emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU). A total of 531 young adults completed self-report measures through an online survey shared on social network groups. Two network models were performed on 297 young adults with probable MD (MDers) (Mage = 23.2, SD = 2.7) vs. 234 non-MDers (Mage = 23.4, SD = 2.6). Results showed that, compared to non-MDers, MDers showed significantly higher scores in all the study variables, except for cognitive reappraisal. Moreover, in the MDers network, the following patterns were identified: (i) no connections between the cluster of psychopathological symptoms, and neither cognitive reappraisal nor expressive suppression; (ii) a connection, through obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms, between the cluster of psychopathological symptoms and MD-interference with life; and (iii) a connection between PSNSU and MD-interference with life. Accordingly, the Network Comparison Test evidenced that the network structures of MDers vs. non-MDers were significantly different (M = .24; p = .01). Overall, higher scores on psychopathological symptoms in MDers provide support to the assumption that MD is a clinical condition, in which OC symptoms may play a critical role. Additionally, the association of PSNSU and MD-interference with life suggests that MDers might rely on PSNSU as a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. Under this scenario, MD may be regarded as a potential vulnerability factor for PSNSU.
... В работе V. Boursier, F. Gioia и M. D. Griffiths установлено, что опасения мальчиков по поводу своей внешности были предсказателями проблемного использования ими социальных сетей. У девушек это не оказало влияния на использование ими селфи в социальных сетях [24]. A. Costanzo и соавт. ...
... У мужчин зависимость от соцсетей коррелирована положительно со стилем избегания в конфликте, а у женщин -отрицательно с возрастом. Установленная обратная связь зависимости от соцсетей с уверенностью согласуется c выявленным зарубежными исследователями аналогичным фактом [18][19][20][21][22][23][24], однако оказалась статистически незначимой обратная связь зависимости от смартфона с интегративным показателем эмоционального интеллекта, установленная в ряде отечественных исследований [12] и зарубежных [13][14][15][16][17]. Представляемая табл. 2 обратная связь с возрастом зависимости женщин от соцсетей совпадает с ранее полученными результатами [3, с. 41]. Показатели корреляций Кендалла зависимости индивида от соцсетей с уверенностью для мужчин и женщин, вычисленные по собранным данным опросов, оказались негативными, но статистически незначимыми. ...
Виртуальное пространство современной молодежи включает социальные сети. Активное участие в них приводит к зависимости от социальных сетей, а она связана с рядом проявлений психологического неблагополучия. Поэтому изучение зависимости от социальных сетей весьма актуально. Цель данного исследования – проверка гипотезы о возможных связях зависимости от социальных сетей с уверенностью в себе, эмоциональным интеллектом и стилем поведения в конфликтных ситуациях. В статье установлено, что у юношей и девушек имеют место обратные связи зависимости от социальных сетей с уверенностью в себе и прямые связи с зависимостью от смартфона и со всеми формирующими ее факторами. Показано, что именно психологические проблемы являются главной причиной возникновения зависимости от соцсетей. Зависимость юношей от соцсетей негативно коррелирует с социальной смелостью и положительно − со стилем «избегание конфликта». У девушек и юношей обнаружены совершенно отличающиеся связи зависимости от соцсетей с эмоциональным интеллектом и его компонентами. Полученные факты свидетельствуют о негативном влиянии новой виртуальной реальности на целый ряд важных социально-психологических параметров личности современного молодого человека.
The virtual space of modern youth includes social networks. Active participation in them leads to dependence on social networks, and it is associated with a number of manifestations of psychological distress. Therefore, the study of dependence on social networks is very important. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis about possible links between social media addiction and self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and style of behavior in conflict situations. The article found that the virtual space for a significant number of young Belarusians has already become preferred in communication, entertainment and work, and that boys and girls have negative associations of dependence on social networks with self-confidence and positive associations with dependence on smartphones and with all the factors that shape it. It is shown that it is psychological problems that are the main cause of dependence on social networks. The dependence of young men on social networks is negatively associated with social courage and positively with the “conflict avoidance” style. Boys and girls have completely different connections between social media addiction and emotional intelligence components. These results are new, since neither domestic nor foreign publications have been able to find reliable conclusions about the relationship of dependence on social networks with components of emotional intelligence and behavior in conflicts. The facts obtained testify to the negative impact of the new virtual reality on a number of important socio-psychological parameters of the personality of a modern young person.
... In principle, it is not discussed with the assumption whether attachment and its components in reality online are derivative of those from the real world, but rather such an assumption is made from above. Consequently, most research has focused on determining how online functions function in terms of offline attachment (Chicchi Giglioli et al., 2017;Costanzo et al., 2021;Stöven and Herzberg, 2021). However, is such an assumption justified? ...
... There are also many research beliefs that treat virtual reality in a pejorative way. People who engage intensively in the online world are perceived as excessively dreamy, fantasizing in a non-adaptive way in reality, with an insecure attachment style (Costanzo et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the virtual reality that this book partially relates to is evolving all the time. ...
... In principle, it is not discussed with the assumption whether attachment and its components in reality online are derivative of those from the real world, but rather such an assumption is made from above. Consequently, most research has focused on determining how online functions function in terms of offline attachment (Chicchi Giglioli et al., 2017;Costanzo et al., 2021;Stöven and Herzberg, 2021). However, is such an assumption justified? ...
... There are also many research beliefs that treat virtual reality in a pejorative way. People who engage intensively in the online world are perceived as excessively dreamy, fantasizing in a non-adaptive way in reality, with an insecure attachment style (Costanzo et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the virtual reality that this book partially relates to is evolving all the time. ...
... In principle, it is not discussed with the assumption whether attachment and its components in reality online are derivative of those from the real world, but rather such an assumption is made from above. Consequently, most research has focused on determining how online functions function in terms of offline attachment (Chicchi Giglioli et al., 2017;Costanzo et al., 2021;Stöven and Herzberg, 2021). However, is such an assumption justified? ...
... There are also many research beliefs that treat virtual reality in a pejorative way. People who engage intensively in the online world are perceived as excessively dreamy, fantasizing in a non-adaptive way in reality, with an insecure attachment style (Costanzo et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the virtual reality that this book partially relates to is evolving all the time. ...
... In principle, it is not discussed with the assumption whether attachment and its components in reality online are derivative of those from the real world, but rather such an assumption is made from above. Consequently, most research has focused on determining how online functions function in terms of offline attachment (Chicchi Giglioli et al., 2017;Costanzo et al., 2021;Stöven and Herzberg, 2021). However, is such an assumption justified? ...
... There are also many research beliefs that treat virtual reality in a pejorative way. People who engage intensively in the online world are perceived as excessively dreamy, fantasizing in a non-adaptive way in reality, with an insecure attachment style (Costanzo et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the virtual reality that this book partially relates to is evolving all the time. ...
This book examines the use of modern technologies in clinical psychological practice. It considers how we define attachment in an age where changes in technology and the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the prevalence of online contact in the process of diagnosis and psychological treatment.
Based on an attachment paradigm that is relatively unexplored, the book outlines how modern online contact influences mental health and development, along with the therapeutic relationship between client and professional. It discusses people’s relationships with new technologies, how relationships can be established using these technologies, and how these technologies affect professional relationships between psychologists and their clients, which they define as e-attachment. In the context of new technologies, the book draws on neurobiology and clinical psychology to consider mental health, social functioning, and emotional regulation.
Presenting both theory and examples from case studies, this cutting-edge book will be of great interest to researchers, academics, and post-graduate students in the fields of clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and mental health. Those also carrying out research into digital and online learning within the field of mental health will also benefit from this text.
Link: https://www.routledge.com/E-attachment-and-Online-Communication-The-Changing-Context-of-the-Clinical/Sitnik-Warchulska-Izydorczyk-Wajda/p/book/9781032116860
... Maladaptive daydreaming. Costanzo et al. (2021) found that prominent maladaptive daydreaming (i.e., a compulsive fantasy activity that interferes with interpersonal and social functioning) partly mediated the positive association between preoccupied attachment and PSNSU and fully mediated the positive relationship between fearful attachment and PSNSU. ...
... Applying a process-based approach to clinical interventions (Kinderman et al., 2013), the specific individual, interpersonal, and SNS-related factors mediating the relationship between insecure attachment and PSNSU should be the major targets of tailored psychological interventions (Billieux, Philippot, et al., 2015;Costanzo et al., 2021). Given that users may rely excessively on SNSs to cope with emotional and interpersonal difficulties (e.g., Musetti et al., 2021b;Ruggieri et al., 2020), metacognitive, socio-emotional learning programs (Durlak et al., 2011) and mentalizing practice (e.g., Lecointe et al., 2016) could be used to alleviate PSNSU symptoms. ...
A systematic review of the literature was conducted to summarize research that examined the associations between problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU) and attachment-related phenomena among adolescents and adults. Records were included in the systematic review if they presented original data, assessed attachment and PSNSU, were published in peer-reviewed journals between 2004 and 2021 and were written in English. After duplicates removal, 373 studies were found eligible for scrutiny. Among the screened full texts, 32 articles met the eligibility criteria. The selected studies included a total of 16,938 participants. Findings from these studies highlighted that PSNSU is negatively associated with indicators of secure attachment and positively associated with indicators of attachment anxiety, whereas results regarding indicators of attachment avoidance were mixed. Furthermore, an analysis of mediators showed that the relationship between PSNU and attachment- related phenomena is affected by individual, interpersonal, and SNS-related variables. Future directions for re- search as well as implications for clinical practice are discussed.
... Consistently, MDbecause of its dissociative state associated with an excessive immersion in a fantasy worldmay function as a buffering mechanism against painful memories related to adverse childhood experiences (Ferrante et al., 2022;Somer et al., 2021). Indeed, although previous research showed that MD is positively associated with insecure adult attachment patterns and negatively associated with adult secure attachment (Costanzo et al., 2021;Mariani et al., 2022;Sándor et al., 2021), its relationship with retrospective attachment (i.e., the history of parent-child attachment) has yet to be investigated. A case report (Anandarami and Roneena, 2023) has recently described a 19-year-old patient with disorganized attachment who started to involve in fantasy activities to experience rewarding emotions by envisioning a positive and appreciated version of herself. ...
... These dimensions reflect one's relational expectations and behaviors and can extend to interactions with social media. Specifically, individuals with high attachment anxiety may rely heavily on social media to seek support and alleviate rejection fears, while those with high attachment avoidance may overuse social media to maintain emotional distance [14]. UGT further underscores the role of the platform-specific gratifications of media use [4]. ...
Background
Despite evidence suggesting that insecure attachment is a significant risk factor for Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), there remains a lack of comprehensive studies exploring this relationship, and a unified understanding of its role has yet to be established.
Methods
We employed network analysis to construct an integrated model for examining the complex interrelations between negative emotions, trait and state attachment, motives, and PSMU across three platforms (i.e., WeChat, Sina Weibo, and TikTok), as well as for identifying potential mediating variables between attachment and PSMU. Data were collected from 685 young adults via online self-reported questionnaires.
Results
We found that negative emotions are positively correlated with insecure trait and state attachment but have a negligible direct relationship with PSMU. The conformity motive and state attachment security emerged as important central nodes when measured by strength, closeness, and betweenness. Moreover, attachment states and motives were found to be clustered. Such strong interrelationships were also evident between insecure attachment and PSMU, while trait attachment anxiety and avoidance were observed to be related to PSMU across various platforms.
Conclusions
Our findings promote a deeper understanding of the relationship between insecure attachment and PSMU from a cross-platform perspective and offer novel insights into the mechanisms underlying their co-occurrence, which may guide the development of effective interventions for healthier social media engagement.
... These findings might be explained through the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014). From this framework, psychosocial difficulties and psychological vulnerabilities might lead individuals to excessively engage in SM use as a coping strategy (Costanzo et al., 2021;Musetti et al., 2021Musetti et al., , 2022Russo et al., 2022). However, these patterns of SM use might constitute a maladaptive strategy that impairs individuals' functioning (Ciudad-Fernández et al., 2024). ...
Objective: This study was conducted to summarize existing studies on the
association between solitary experiences and problematic social media use (PSMU)
among young adults.
Method: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA
guidelines, implemented in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO. We
selected studies if they presented original data, assessed solitary experiences and
PSMU in young adults (i.e., 18-30 age range), were published in peer reviewed
journals between 2004 and 2023, and were written in English.
Results: After duplicate removal, 1,841 eligible studies were found. From these,
12 articles were selected, encompassing 4,009 participants. Most studies showed a
positive association between general loneliness and PSMU. Some of these suggested
that this relationship varies based on the facets of loneliness, other potential variables,
and the type of social media. No mediating factors were found. Few studies assessed
solitary experiences other than general loneliness, highlighting the need for a
multidimensional perspective on solitary experience in investigating PSMU.
Conclusions: Implications and future research orientations are discussed.
... Studies show a relationship between insecure attachment styles and SNS addiction (Liu & Ma, 2019;Worsley et al., 2018). However, limited studies are addressing the variables that affect the relationship between attachment styles and SNS addiction (Costanzo et al., 2021;Gori et al., 2023;Remondi et al., 2020;Stănculescu & Griffiths, 2023). Each attachment style affects perceptions of self and others differently (Mikulincer, 1998;Mikulincer & Shaver, Shaver and Mikulincer, 2009). ...
Adolescents are at risk of social networking sites (SNS) addiction. One of the variables predicting SNS in adolescents is thought to be attachment styles. Anxious attachment is known to be related to SNS addiction. However, there are limited studies on the mediating variables of this relationship. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the variables affecting the relationship between anxious attachment style and SNS addiction. Study data were obtained online from 414 adolescents. Independent Samples t-Test, correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the study data. It was found that low self-esteem and interpersonal cognitive distortion affect the desire to be liked, and this predicts SNS addiction. The findings from this study are essential for understanding the complex relationship between attachment and SNS. These study findings re-emphasize the importance of a secure and stable relationship with the primary caregiver from the perspective of SNS addiction.
... Surveys suggest that particular kinds of mental illness and symptoms, such as selfharm and suicidal ideation, may be heightened by exposure to related content online (Arendt et al., 2019). Relevant to DID, social media usage has been connected to escapism and maladaptive daydreaming (i.e., Costanzo et al., 2021;Kırcaburun & Griffiths, 2019), especially during COVID-19 (Fernandes et al., 2020;Wulf et al., 2022). TikTok should thus be approached not just as a venue through which identity work and communities around mental illness are sustained, but also as an agent that interacts with the mental health of the individuals who use the platform. ...
In 2020, in the midst of COVID-19 related social distancing, the relatively new social media platform, TikTok, burgeoned in popularity. One somewhat surprising topic area that rose to prominence on the platform during this time was dissociative identity disorder (DID). Some researchers and clinicians expressed concern that the proliferation of DID content on the platform may have contributed to a marked increase in individuals presenting with DID and related symptoms. However, given that the relationship between DID and the media has historically been fraught with skepticism, as well as recent work by Christensen (2022) highlighting the development of Plural cultures online, it is critical to better understand DID on TikTok before passing such judgements. This study presents the first examination of the DID TikTok community through a descriptive analysis of 325 user signatures. Using a combination of qualitative codebook thematic analysis and quantitative content analysis, this project maps the contours of the community and centers the creative identity work that individuals within this community appear to undertake. We identified the following three themes within this sample of signatures: (a) Describing DID (with System Architectures, Diagnostic Authenticity, and Being Plural as subthemes), (b) Establishing Boundaries, and (c) Labeling Intersecting Identities. In addition to providing insights into DID TikTok, this study offers a methodological contribution by modeling one way of scaling rigorous qualitative analysis for social media platforms by using quantitative content analysis to complement qualitative methods.
... The RQ has been shown to possess good test-retest reliability and discriminant validity [48,49] and has been successfully used in research focusing on internet-mediated problematic behaviors [50]. ...
BACKGROUND
Cyberchondria is characterized by repeated and compulsive online searches for health information, resulting in increased health anxiety and distress. It has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct fueled by both anxiety and compulsivity-related factors and described as a “transdiagnostic compulsive behavioral syndrome,” which is associated with health anxiety, problematic internet use, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cyberchondria is not included in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition , and its defining features, etiological mechanisms, and assessment continue to be debated.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate changes in the severity of cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the predictors of cyberchondria at this time.
METHODS
Data collection started on May 4, 2020, and ended on June 10, 2020, which corresponds to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. At the time the study took place, French-speaking countries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg) all implemented lockdown or semilockdown measures. The survey consisted of a questionnaire collecting demographic information (sex, age, education level, and country of residence) and information about socioeconomic circumstances during the first lockdown (eg, economic situation, housing, and employment status) and was followed by several instruments assessing various psychological and health-related constructs. Inclusion criteria for the study were being at least 18 years of age and having a good understanding of French. Self-report data were collected from 725 participants aged 18-77 (mean 33.29, SD 12.88) years, with females constituting the majority (416/725, 57.4%).
RESULTS
The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected various facets of cyberchondria: cyberchondria-related distress and compulsion increased (distress z =–3.651, P <.001; compulsion z =–5.697, P <.001), whereas the reassurance facet of cyberchondria decreased ( z =–6.680, P <.001). In addition, COVID-19–related fears and health anxiety emerged as the strongest predictors of cyberchondria-related distress and interference with functioning during the pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cyberchondria and identify factors that should be considered in efforts to prevent and manage cyberchondria at times of public health crises. In addition, they are consistent with a theoretical model of cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic proposed in 2020. These findings have implications for the conceptualization and future assessment of cyberchondria.
... The RQ has been shown to possess good test-retest reliability and discriminant validity [48,49] and has been successfully used in research focusing on internet-mediated problematic behaviors [50]. ...
Background
Cyberchondria is characterized by repeated and compulsive online searches for health information, resulting in increased health anxiety and distress. It has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct fueled by both anxiety and compulsivity-related factors and described as a “transdiagnostic compulsive behavioral syndrome,” which is associated with health anxiety, problematic internet use, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cyberchondria is not included in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and its defining features, etiological mechanisms, and assessment continue to be debated.
Objective
This study aims to investigate changes in the severity of cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the predictors of cyberchondria at this time.
Methods
Data collection started on May 4, 2020, and ended on June 10, 2020, which corresponds to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. At the time the study took place, French-speaking countries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg) all implemented lockdown or semilockdown measures. The survey consisted of a questionnaire collecting demographic information (sex, age, education level, and country of residence) and information about socioeconomic circumstances during the first lockdown (eg, economic situation, housing, and employment status) and was followed by several instruments assessing various psychological and health-related constructs. Inclusion criteria for the study were being at least 18 years of age and having a good understanding of French. Self-report data were collected from 725 participants aged 18-77 (mean 33.29, SD 12.88) years, with females constituting the majority (416/725, 57.4%).
ResultsThe results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected various facets of cyberchondria: cyberchondria-related distress and compulsion increased (distress z=–3.651, P
... The total sample consisted of an aggregation of four independent databases comprising participants recruited for previous research projects, all of which have received ethical clearance from local ethics committees and some of which have led, to date, to peer-reviewed journal articles (i.e., Boursier, Gioia, & Griffiths, 2020;Boursier, Gioia, Musetti, et al., 2020;Costanzo et al., 2021;Mariani et al., 2021). All participants were based in Italy and Italian-speaking. ...
The components model of addiction posits that all addictions share six components, namely salience, tolerance, mood modification, relapse, withdrawal, and conflict. This highly influential model has resulted in the development of numerous psychometric instruments that measure addictive behaviors according to these criteria. However, recent research suggests that, in the context of behavioral addictions, certain components constitute peripheral features that do not distinguish non-pathological from pathological behavior. Using “addictive” use of social media as a representative example, we examined this perspective by testing whether these six components actually assess central features of addiction, or whether some of them constitute peripheral features that are not indicative of a disorder.
Four independent samples totaling 4,256 participants from the general population completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, a six-item psychometric instrument derived from the components model of addiction to assess social media “addiction”. By performing structural equation modeling and network analyses, we showed that the six components did not form a unitary construct and, crucially, that some components (i.e., salience, tolerance) were not associated with measures assessing psychopathological symptoms.
Taken together, these results suggest that psychometric instruments based on the components model conflate central and peripheral features of addiction when applied to behavioral addictions. This implies that such instruments pathologize involvement in appetitive behaviors. Our findings thus call for renewing the conceptualization and assessment of behavioral addictions.
... Alleviating negative emotional states arising from stressful contexts or adversities in life and escaping from everyday problems 114,[258][259][260][261][262] Interpersonal Social anxiety Overwhelming fear of social situations 5,239,[263][264][265] Attachment style Internalized mental representation of the self and others in close relationships 266 Feelings of isolation and loneliness - [267][268][269] Deficiencies in selfother differentiation Impaired ability to experience a sense of self as a separate individual in relationships with others 270 These results suggest that online multiplayer games might attract more vulnerable players. ...
Gaming disorder was officially recognized as a disorder of addictive behaviour in the International Classification of Diseases 11th revision in 2019. Since then, other types of potentially problematic online behaviour have been discussed as possible candidates for inclusion in the psychiatric nosography of addictive disorders. Understanding these problematic online behaviours requires further study of the specific psychological mechanisms involved in their formation and maintenance. An important but underdeveloped line of research has examined the ways in which technology design features might influence users’ capacity to exert control over how they engage with and use websites and applications, thereby amplifying uncontrolled, and perhaps addictive, use. In this Review, we critically examine the available research on the relationships between technology design features and the loss of control and harms experienced by those who engage in online video gaming, online gambling, cybersexual activities, online shopping, social networking and on-demand TV streaming. We then propose a theory-driven general taxonomy of the design features of online applications that might promote uncontrolled and problematic online behaviours.
... Moreover, such individuals tend to use hyper-activating strategies (e.g., being overly dependent on others), and use social media to seek comfort and belongingness online (Worsley et al., 2018). To be more specific, individuals with high attachment anxiety may be more likely to use social networking sites to alleviate distressing emotions such as fear of rejection or loneliness and to seek comfort and sense of belonging online (Costanzo et al., 2021). Consistently, attachment anxiety is expected to be directly associated with PSMU. ...
With the acceleration of internet use, problematic social media use (PSMU) is included in our lives. When looking at the antecedents of PSMU, being young has been found to be a risk factor for PSMU. In addition to the benefits of technological advances in education and training, rapid technological developments may also result in problematic behaviors, especially among children and young. Recently, possibilities brought by technology and more widespread use of technology by young people have created a new concept, namely, cyberbullying. The present study aims to examine the effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance on PSMU and cyberbullying as with the partial mediating effects of the Dark Triad personality traits, angry rejection sensitivity, and anxious rejection sensitivity among adolescents. In general, the findings supported the proposed theoretical model. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications along with suggestions for future research.
... Moreover, future studies may explore the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation and self-monitoring in improving control over MD in more extensive face-to-face psychotherapy. We also recommend exploring the efficacy of other relevant interventions to address psychological problems pertinent to MD, such as emotion dysregulation (Sándor et al., 2021), social anxiety (Somer & Herscu, 2017), shame and dissociation (Ferrante et al., 2022), insecure attachment (Costanzo et al., 2021), and the sequelae of childhood trauma (Somer et al., 2016a). ...
Objective:
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a compulsive form of daydreaming that causes distress and functional impairment. We present the first treatment trial for MD.
Method:
We tested the effectiveness of an eight-session internet-based self-help training for mindfulness and self-monitoring and compared three groups across three measurement points in time. A sample of 557 people was randomly assigned. A total of 353 participants (age M[SD] = 28.3[10.5], 76% female, 77% unmarried) completed our program: full-intervention group (n = 114, psychoeducation + motivation enhancement + mindfulness + self-monitoring), partial-intervention group (n = 125, identical excluding self-monitoring), and waiting-list group (n = 125, internet-based support as usual).
Results:
All MD measures assessing daydreaming pathology, daydreaming frequency, and life functioning showed significant improvement with a large effect size (ES) from baseline to posttreatment in both intervention groups, whereas the wait-list group showed no significant improvement, MD: F(3, 349) = 35.76, p < .0001, η² = 0.24; frequency: F(3, 349) = 32.06, p < .001, η² = 0.22; functioning: F(3, 349) = 20.43, p < .001, η² = 0.15. Mindfulness with self-monitoring training for MD was superior to mindfulness alone in the short term, but they both were equally efficient in the long term. Both interventions were superior to relying on internet-based support forums only. The clinically significant improvement rate of mindfulness with self-monitoring training was 24%, while the reliable improvement rate reached 39%. At the 6-month follow-up, achievements were maintained.
Conclusions:
A brief internet-based intervention program comprising mindfulness meditation and self-monitoring facilitated recovery or improvement in many individuals with MD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
This study examines the influence of attachment styles—secure, anxious, avoidant, fearful-avoidant, and unclassified—on social media addiction in Kuwait, emphasizing the need for culturally relevant interventions. Using data from 4,419 participants, it identifies distinct patterns: anxious attached individuals use social media for emotional validation, while avoidant attached users limit interactions to preserve autonomy. The research integrates ethical considerations, such as data privacy and cultural alignment, to propose tailored strategies for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers. This study merges psychological theory and practical solutions to address social media addiction in non-Western contexts, promoting digital well-being.
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a complex psychological phenomenon characterized by excessive fantasy activity that interferes with a person's academic, interpersonal, or professional functioning. Individuals experiencing MD consciously engage in this activity and maintain a clear distinction between the realm of fantasy and reality. MD has only short-term benefits and long- term complications for people who experience it. MD is assessed with the help of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), which has adaptations in other languages (Arabic, Brazilian-Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, and Turkish). The concept of MD is underrepresented in Ukrainian psychological research. Therefore, the development of the validated instrument for its assessment is critical. This article shows the results of the pilot study of validating MDS-16 on Ukrainian sample. We performed the parallel and back-translation of the original English MDS-16 questionnaire. Validation was performed on the sample of 132 respondents. The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed using Cronbach's alpha, intercorrelations of the MDS-16 items, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The adapted MDS-16 demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = .91). The questionnaire's factor structure was evaluated using EFA obtaining two-factor structure while the original version suggests four- factor structure. The factor structure that was obtained by the EFA (2-factor) and the proposed original factor structure (4-factor) showed similar results by CFA on our sample. Therefore, we decided to follow the EFA-obtained factor structure in our future studies on MD. However, the bigger sample may lead us to return to the original factor structure. The Ukrainian version of the MDS-16 scale demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. The results of the pilot study of the Ukrainian version underlies further development of the MDS-16 adaptation in the Ukrainian language, as well as underlined the necessity of adaptation.
Drawing on recent evidence that inflammation may promote social affiliative motivation, the present research proposes a novel perspective that inflammation may be associated with more social media use. In a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample, Study 1 (N = 863) found a positive association between C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of systemic inflammation, and the amount of social media use by middle-aged adults. Study 2 (N = 228) showed that among college students CRP was prospectively associated with more social media use 6 weeks later. Providing stronger evidence of the directionality of this effect, Study 3 (N = 171) showed that in college students CRP predicted increased social media use in the subsequent week even after controlling for current week's use. Additionally, in exploratory analyses of CRP and different types of social media use in the same week, CRP was only associated with using social media for social interaction and not for other purposes (e.g., entertainment). The present research sheds light on the social effects of inflammation and highlights potential benefits of using social media as a context for studying the impact of inflammation on social motivation and behavior.
Addiction of boys and girls from social networks is associated with the presence of their feelings of loneliness, as well as anxiety, depression, stress, dissatisfaction with life, impulsivity, narcissism, weak assertiveness, low self-esteem, insecurity from cyberbullying. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis about the possible connections of the addiction of young people from social networks with their self-confidence, emotional intelligence and style of behaviour in conflict situations. The empirical study was based on the data of an online survey of 265 respondents, including 117 boys and 148 girls. Dependence on social networks was measured by the ZSS-15 questionnaire (V. P. Sheinov, A. S. Devitsyn), self-confidence – by the method of V. G. Romek, emotional intelligence – by the Thomas – Kilmann test, dependence on a smartphone – a short version of the SAS-16 of the questionnaire «Scale of dependence on a smartphone» (V. P. Sheinov). The article found that boys and girls have statistically significant negative associations of addiction from social networks with self-confidence and positive connections with dependence on a smartphone and with all the factors that form it (loss of control over themselves, fear of losing a smartphone and euphoria from its use). It is shown that it is the psychological problems of young people that are the main reason for the occurrence of one or another degree of addiction from social networks. At the same time, the need of young men and women in communication is satisfied if they have addiction to a lesser extent than the factors «psychological state» and «obtaining information». Neither boys nor girls have been found to link social media addiction to social contact initiative. The social media addiction of young men is negatively correlated with their social courage and positively correlated with their reaction to conflict in avoidance mode. Such correlations in girls have not been recorded. In boys and girls, there are various correlations of addiction from social networks with emotional intelligence: in boys – a negative connection with self-management, in girls – a positive connection with the recognition of emotions of other people. In general, girls are more dependent than boys on social media. These results are new, as neither domestic nor foreign publications have found results on the links of social media addiction to components of emotional intelligence.
Objective: The positive association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and
emotion dysregulation (ED) is well documented. Research has also found that interpersonal
guilt is positively associated with ED. Nevertheless, the influence of interpersonal
guilt on PIU has been scarcely examined. In the current study, we investigated
the relationships among the three constructs, and tested if emotion dysregulation mediates
the association between interpersonal guilt and different types of PIU, namely
problematic online gaming, problematic social media use, and problematic online
pornography use.
Method: A sample of 434 adult participants (210 males, 48.4%) aged between 18
and 69 years old completed self-reported measures on interpersonal guilt, ED, and
PIU. A structural equation modeling (SEM) framework was used to test the mediation
models.
Results: SEM analyses showed that ED mediates the relationship between interpersonal
guilt as antecedent, and problematic online gaming, problematic social media
use, and problematic online pornography use as outcomes.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that emotion dysregulation deriving from experiences
of interpersonal guilt can amplify the risk of using gaming, social media, and
online pornography in a problematic way. Implications for prevention and treatment
of PIU are discussed.
Key words: interpersonal guilt, emotion dysregulation, problematic gaming,
problematic social media use, problematic online pornography use
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a new proposed mental disorder in which an excessive absorption in vivid, narrative fantasies generates impairments in various life domains. This study aimed to examine the role of traumatic life experiences and immature, neurotic, and mature defense styles in MD. Three hundred and fifty-six Italian adults, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years completed an online survey, including measures of MD, traumatic life events, and defense styles. A multiple mediation model showed that immature, neurotic, and mature defense styles fully mediated the relationship between traumatic life experiences and MD. These findings suggest that clinical interventions for people with a history of traumatic experience who developed MD should aim to help them acquire more adaptive coping strategies to deal with traumatic memories.
Preliminary evidence suggests that daydreaming about other people has adaptive value in daily social lives. To address this possibility, we examined whether daydreaming plays a role in maintaining close, stable relationships using a 1-year prospective longitudinal study. We found that individuals’ propensity to daydream about their marital partner is separate to general daydreaming. In contrast to general daydreaming, which was associated with lower subsequent relationship investment size (i.e., magnitude and importance of resources attached to a relationship) in the marital partner, partner-related social daydreaming led to a greater subsequent investment size. Additionally, attachment styles moderated these effects. The effect of daydreaming regarding investment size was found only in securely attached individuals. This research advances the emerging field of social daydreaming and highlights self-generated thought as a critical tool that can help people navigate the complex social world.
Background: Research has found that parental failures of care during childhood and insecure attachment styles are positively associated with problematic gaming. From a developmental framework, it is possible to hypothesize that attachment styles mediate the relationship between parental bonding and problematic gaming.
Methods: This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 598 videogame players (410 males, 68.56%) aged between 18 and 61 years old (M = 26.68, SD = 7.23). Participants were recruited through an online survey. Self-report instruments were administered to assess problematic gaming, parental bonding, and adult attachment styles.
Results: Positive paternal care was a direct and negative predictor of problematic gaming, whereas maternal overprotection indirectly predicted problematic gaming through preoccupied attachment.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that positive paternal care represents a protective factor for problematic gaming; in contrast, maternal overprotection might foster a negative view of the self in the child, which increases the risk to excessively use videogames, perhaps as a maladaptive coping strategy to regulate negative feelings. Prevention programs might be aimed to improve the responsiveness of parents towards the child’s emotional needs, to prevent the development of problematic gaming. Also, clinical intervention with problematic gamers might foster their feelings of security toward relationships, to promote both a healthier use of videogames and a better quality of life.
Background and aims: Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is a proposed mental disorder, in which absorption in rich, narrative fantasy becomes addictive and compulsive, resulting in emotional, social, vocational, or academic dysfunction. Most studies on MD were carried out on aggregated international samples, using translated versions of the of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16). However, it is unknown whether the properties of MD are affected by culture. Thus, we investigated the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the MDS-16.
Methods: We recruited both individuals self-identified as suffering from MD and non-clinical community participants from four countries: the USA, Italy, Turkey, and the UK (N = 1,081).
Results: Configural invariance was shown, suggesting that the hypothesized four-factor structure of the MDS-16 (including Yearning, Impairment, Kinesthesia, and Music) holds across cultures. Metric invariance was shown for Impairment, Kinesthesia, and Music, but not for Yearning, suggesting that the psychological meaning of the latter factor may be understood differently across cultures. Scalar invariance was not found, as MD levels were higher in the USA and UK, probably due to the over-representation of English-speaking members of MD communities, who volunteered for the study.
Discussion and conclusions: We conclude that the urge to be absorbed in daydreaming and the fantasies’ comforting and addictive properties may have different meanings across countries, but the interference of MD to one’s daily life and its obstruction of long-term goals may be the central defining factor of MD.
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a clinical condition in which an extensive fantasy activity replaces human interactions and generates impairments in work and relationships. In this study, we aim to observe the role of emotional trauma, shame, and dissociation in MD. We recruited a group of 162 self-diagnosed maladaptive daydreamers (women: N = 135, 83.3%), aged 18 to 54, in an online MD group. Participants filled out a survey, including measures of MD, dissociation, traumatic experiences and shame. A multiple mediation model showed that dissociation and shame fully mediated the relationship between emotional trauma and MD severity in the sample. These findings suggest that people suffering from MD may benefit from clinical interventions that address their tendencies to absorb themselves into daydreaming to cope with impairing feelings of shame.
Males have been proposed to be more vulnerable to internet addiction (IA) than females. However, males and females may differ with respect to specific patterns and types of internet usage and related IA. To investigate further, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate gender-related differences in internet gaming disorder (IGD) and social media addiction (SMA). The current meta-analysis aimed to quantify gender-related effect sizes relating to IGD and SMA, examine potential moderating influences of regions and other possible confounds, and compare the findings with generalized IA at the country level. The meta-analysis comprised 53 effect sizes with 82,440 individuals from 21 countries/regions for IGD, and 41 effect sizes with 58,336 individuals from 22 countries/regions for SMA. A random-effects model confirmed important gender-specific distinctions as men were more likely to exhibit IGD than women (g = 0.479) and less likely to exhibit SMA than women (g = −0.202). Additional moderator analyses revealed that effect sizes of IGD and SMA were larger in Europe and the Americas than in Asia. Further analyses indicated that the effect sizes of gender-related differences in IGD and SMA at the country-level were significantly larger than those in generalized IA, which suggests that gender-related differences in specific IAs may be underestimated in the “umbrella” of generalized IA. Results have implications for explaining why males and females may become addicted to internet use through different pathways.
Internet gaming and social media use are prevalent and integral to many people’s lives. However, excessive engagement in either could lead to negative health impacts. This study aimed to investigate relationships between severities of internet gaming disorder (IGD) and problematic social media use (operationalized as social media addiction; SMA) with sleep quality and psychological distress among young adults. A cross-sectional study with snowball sampling was conducted among Hong Kong university students in 2019. All participants (n = 300; mean (SD) age = 20.89 (1.48); 122 males (40.67%)) responded to an online survey that included Chinese versions of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Multiple linear regressions demonstrated that IGDS-SF9 scores demonstrated associations with psychological distress measures (standardized coefficient (β) = 0.295 for depression, 0.325 for anxiety, 0.339 for stress, all p < 0.001). BSMAS scores showed similar albeit numerically less robust associations (β = 0.235 for depression, p < 0.001; 0.219 for anxiety, p = 0.001; 0.262 for stress, p < 0.001). BSMAS scores demonstrated associations with poorer sleep quality (β = 0.292; p < 0.001) and IGDS9-SF scores (β = 0.157; p = 0.024) showed a significantly less robust association (p = 0.01 for comparing the two βs). These findings suggest that both severities of IGD and SMA associate with more psychological distress and poorer sleep quality, although the strengths of associations may differ.
Introduction
The current study investigates the effects of perfectionism discrepancies (PD) and social hopelessness (SH) on problematic social media use as conceptualized by the cognitive-behavioral model. Methods: A sample of 400 university students (52.3% women; mean age = 22.01 ± 1.99) completed measures assessing PD, SH, and problematic social media use. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that both social hopelessness and feeling discrepant from personal and prescribed standards predicted the preference for online social interactions (POSI). POSI predicted the motivation to use online social media as a means of alleviating distressing feelings, the inability to regulate social media use and the negative outcomes resulting from use of SNS. Conclusions: In line with the cognitive-behavioral model of problematic Internet use, the present study suggests the primary importance of maladaptive cognitions about the self (i.e. perfectionism discrepancies) and the world (i.e. social hopelessness) for the development of a preference for online social interactions. In particular, the present study shows that individuals are likely to opt for online social interactions as a function of their pessimistic social expectancies and the sense of inadequacy that comes from perceptions of falling short of expectations.
Previous research has shown significant and positive associations between social anxiety of parents and their adolescent offspring. The main aim of this study was to investigate this relationship in the social media (SM) context. We tested one hundred and fifty-two couples comprising mothers and their adolescent offspring (12–14 years old) on their levels of problematic Facebook use (PFU) and social anxiety concerning SM use. An actor–partner interdependence model highlighted the positive relationship between the PFU scores of mothers and their offspring on the levels of SM social anxiety in the offspring. We discuss the results in the context of intergenerational transfer of problematic technology use and social anxiety.
Evidence supports predictive roles of adult attachment orientations for the maintenance of social networking site (SNS) addiction, but the underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown. Based on attachment theory, this study explored whether online social support and the fear of missing out mediated the relationship between insecure attachment and social networking site addiction among 463 college students in China. A questionnaire was used to collect data using the Experience in Close Relationship Scale—Short Form, online social support scale, fear of missing out scale, and Chinese Social Media Addiction Scale. The results showed that online social support and fear of missing out mediated the relationship between anxious attachment and social networking site addiction in parallel paths and serially, and online social support negatively mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and social networking site addiction. Theoretically, the present study contributes to the field by showing how insecure attachment is linked to SNS addiction. Practically, these findings could aid in future studies on SNS addiction prevention and interventions. Limitations of the present study were discussed.
Background
A need exists to increase our understanding of the association between maladaptive personality traits, psychopathological symptoms, game preference, and different types of video game use. In the present study, we used a person-centered approach to identify different subtypes of video game players and we explored how they differ in personality profiles, clinical symptoms, and video game usage.
Methods
We assessed problematic gaming via the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale and self-reported screen time playing video games in a sample of 366 adolescents and young adult gamers. Participants also completed measures on maladaptive personality domains (Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale—20 items), and psychopathological symptoms (DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure) and reported which genre of video games they preferred.
Results
Using a person-centered, cluster-analytic approach, we identified four clusters of video game players (Occasional, Passionate, Preoccupied, and Disordered) presenting peculiar combinations of problematic gaming scores and time spent online playing video games. Non-problematic gamers (Occasional and Passionate) represented the majority of the sample (62.3% of the participants). Highly involved gamers who exhibited excessive screen time playing video games (Disordered gamers) presented the highest level of maladaptive personality traits and psychopathological symptoms, and were characterized by the greatest use of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games.
Conclusion
These results have clinical implications on suggesting the importance to determining whether or not problematic gaming activities reflect a dysfunctional emotion-focused coping strategy to avoid inner unpleasant emotional or a more generally compromised emotional and social functioning.
While there is substantial evidence that emotion regulation plays a role in the maintenance of substance and behavior addiction, its role in addiction to social networking sites (SNS) remains unclear. Drawing on attachment theory, we explore whether emotion regulation mediates the relationship between insecure attachment and SNS addiction among 463 college students. The participants completed the short version of the Experience in Close Relationships Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Chinese Social Media Addiction Scale. The results indicated that attachment anxiety positively predicted SNS addiction and that emotion regulation mediated this link. These findings suggest that individuals’ affective regulation capability should be a target of future interventions and treatments.
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is an excessive and vivid fantasy activity that interferes with individual's normal functioning and can result in severe distress. Research has shown that MD is a clinical condition associated with a number of personal, interpersonal and behavioral problems. Therefore, a need exists to differentiate MD from other mental activities that involve an excessive or otherwise problematic use of fantasy. These include, among others, daydreaming, mind wandering, dissociative absorption, fantasy proneness, sluggish cognitive tempo, lucid dreaming, and autistic fantasy. In this article, we examine the commonalities and differences between MD and these mental activities, to promote a better understanding of the MD phenomena and their specificity, and to foster the quality of its assessment in clinical settings. A clinical case study is employed to elucidate our analysis and to demonstrate the differential diagnosis of MD.
Objective:
Symptoms of problematic Internet use (PIU) may be increased in people who display an excessive involvement in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). Notably, impulsivity and alexithymia have not been investigated together in the literature addressing the predictors of PIU among gamers, despite evidence that these personality traits may play a pivotal role in the development of problematic gaming patterns. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between facets of alexithymia and impulsivity and PIU scores among MMORPG players.
Method:
In the current study, 364 World of Warcraft (WoW) players (272 males, 74.7%) aged 18 to 48 years old provided socio-demographic information and completed questionnaires on PIU, time spent online playing WoW, alexithymia, and impulsivity.
Results:
PIU scores were negatively associated with age and positively associated with alexithymia scores, impulsivity scores, and time spent online playing WoW. A linear regression analysis showed that PIU scores were predicted by time spent online playing WoW, the alexithymic features concerning difficulties identifying and describing feelings, and attentional impulsivity.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that MMORPG players with difficulties concerning affect awareness and a tendency to be distracted by novel stimuli may spend an excessive amount of time playing video games and may also show prominent symptoms of PIU.
Web-based communication via social networking sites (SNSs) is growing fast among adolescents and adults and some research suggests that excessive SNS use can become an addiction among a small minority of individuals. There is a growing body of research that has examined the impact of attachment styles and its influence on internet addiction (more generally) and social media addiction (more specifically). Consequently, the present study systematically reviewed the evidence concerning internet/social media addiction and attachment style. A total of 32 papers published between 2000 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria following searches in the following databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Findings demonstrated a significant positive association between insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant) and a more intensive and dysfunctional use of the internet and social media. Findings demonstrate that those with insecure attachment appear to use the social media sites as a way of replacing and compensating affection that is missing from those around the individual (e.g., family and peers). The findings suggest that the gratification model provides a useful framework to understand the effects of parental attachment on social media addiction. Limitations and future research are also discussed.
Even though positive associations among problematic Internet use (PIU), maladaptive personality traits, insecure attachment styles, and dissociation have been frequently observed in research, a need exists to examine the interrelationships among these factors in young adults. Two hundred fifty-three young adults (52% females) aged between 18 and 25 years old completed a sociodemographic form and measures on PIU, maladaptive personality traits, dissociative experiences, and adult attachment styles. They also reported how much time they usually spent online. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that male gender, increased time spent online, negative affectivity, an avoidant attachment style, and dissociative symptoms of depersonalization/derealization were strongly associated with PIU scores in the sample. Our findings suggest that an excessive time spent online may combine with maladaptive personality features, insecure attachment dispositions, and difficulties in processing bodily experiences in generating PIU among young adults.
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Purpose of Review
The present article consists of a systematic review of recent (2007–2018) empirical studies addressing the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation. Nineteen peer-reviewed empirical studies that examined the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation were identified.
Recent Findings
The findings suggest that excessive video game use is linked to a variety of dissociative phenomena (e.g. depersonalisation experiences, escapism, psychotic-like experiences, game transfer phenomena).
Summary
Dissociative experiences are associated with problematic gaming. The findings support the hypothesis that problematic video game use can represent a maladaptive coping strategy on which people can rely to escape from disturbing mental states, adverse emotions or real-life problems. In these circumstances, dissociative symptoms might represent the side effects of an alteration in consciousness that is generated by excessive video game use. However, further research (especially experimental and longitudinal) is required in order to establish a potential causal link between problematic gaming patterns and dissociation.
Background:
A positive relationship between problematic gaming and escapism motivation to play video games has been well established, suggesting that problematic gaming may result from attempts to deal with negative emotions. However, to date, no study has examined how emotion dysregulation affects both escapism motives and problematic gaming patterns.
Methods:
Difficulties in emotion regulation, escapism, and problematic involvement with video games were assessed in a sample of 390 World of Warcraft players. A structural equation modeling framework was used to test the hypothesis that escapism mediates the relationship between emotion dysregulation and problematic gaming.
Results:
Statistical analyses showed that difficulties in emotion regulation predicted both escapism motives and problematic gaming, and that escapism partially mediated this relationship.
Conclusion:
Our findings support the view that problematic players are likely to escape in online games as a maladaptive coping strategy for dealing with adverse emotional experiences.
Preliminary evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment is associated with higher problematic social media use (PSMU). It has also been established that childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) is associated with body image dissatisfaction (BID). However, the direct and indirect impact of CEM on PSMU via BID remains untested. The present study examined these direct and indirect relationships among a sample of 385 adolescents (mean age: 15.62 years, range 14-18 years). Results indicated that female adolescents had higher levels of CEM, BID, and PSMU compared to males. Structural equation modeling indicated that CEM was indirectly associated with PSMU via BID among males. However, only BID was positively associated with PSMU among females. The findings are in accordance with theoretical models suggesting that individuals’ core characteristics including early childhood experiences and psychopathological factors are associated with different types of specific Internet-use disorders.
Aim:
To extend the scholarly debate on (a) whether or not the compulsive use of games and social media should be regarded as behavioral addictions (Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017) and (b) whether the nine DSM-5 criteria for Internet gaming disorder (IGD; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) are appropriate to distinguish highly engaged, non-disordered users of games and social media from disordered users, this study investigated the impact of engaged and disordered use of games and social media on the psychosocial well-being and school performances of adolescents.
Methods:
As part of the Digital Youth Project of the University of Utrecht, a three-wave longitudinal sample of 12- to 15-year-old adolescents (N = 538) was utilized. Three annual online measurements were administered in the classroom setting, including IGD, social media disorder, life satisfaction, and perceived social competence. Schools provided information on students' grade point average.
Results:
The symptoms of disordered use of games and social media showed to have a negative effect on adolescent's life satisfaction, and the symptoms of disordered gaming showed a negative impact on adolescents' perceived social competence. On the other hand, heavy use of games and social media predicted positive effects on adolescents' perceived social competence. However, the heavy use of social media also predicted a decrease in school performances. Several gender differences in these outcomes are discussed.
Conclusion:
The findings propose that symptoms of disordered use of games and social media predict a decrease in the psychosocial well-being and school performances of adolescents, thereby meeting one of the core criteria of behavioral addictions.
Background and aims: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) has many features of behavioural
addiction but research exploring this syndrome is limited. This case study provides a
qualitative exploration of MD.
Method: A structured clinical interview and mental state examination of a patient with MD
was video-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were subjected to the interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Results: MD developed as a strategy to cope with distress but led to uncontrollable
absorption in fantasy, social withdrawal, and neglecting aspects of everyday life. It was
coupled with excessive Internet use and viewing porn.
Discussion and conclusions: Patients should be questioned about MD during clinical
assessment. Further studies are necessary to determine whether MD constitutes a separate syndrome or is a part of other behavioural addictions.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the mediating effects of attachment styles, rejection sensitivity and the Dark Triad personality traits on the links between relationship satisfaction and social media addiction. It is proposed that insecure attachment styles (i.e., preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful attachment styles), rejection sensitivity, and the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy) are negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, which, in turn, is negatively related to social media addiction. The data were collected from 229 university students from 14 different universities in four different cities of Turkey. The results of the structural equation modeling analyses revealed that relationship (dis) satisfaction was a significant predictor of social media addiction; and also, it partially mediated the link of fearful attachment with social media addiction. Furthermore, the direct positive paths from fearful attachment, rejection sensitivity and psychopathy to social media addiction were significant. The findings were discussed regarding the theoretical and practical implications along with suggestions for future research.
Background:
Previous studies have reported on positive and negative psychological outcomes associated with the use of social networking sites (SNSs). Research efforts linking Facebook use with depression and low self-esteem have indicated that it might be the manner in which people engage with the site that makes its use problematic for some people. The aim of the current study was to test a theoretical model of problematic Facebook use, using adult attachment style as the predictor variable of interest.
Method:
A cross-sectional design was employed wherein adult Facebook users (n = 717) completed measures of psychological distress, self-esteem, and adult attachment, in addition to measures of problematic Facebook use (i.e. social comparison, self-disclosures, impression management, & intrusive Facebook use). Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and mediation analyses.
Results:
The results of this study indicated that attachment anxiety was predictive of all facets of problematic Facebook use, and that attachment avoidance was predictive of impression management, and social consequences of intrusive Facebook use. Further analyses confirmed the mediating influences of psychological distress and self-esteem on these relationships.
Conclusions:
Users of Facebook with higher levels of attachment insecurity may be gravitating towards the site in order to fulfil their attachment needs. This tendency is likely to be particularly prevalent for those individuals with low self-esteem who are experiencing psychological distress.
The use of social network sites (SNSs) has grown dramatically. Numerous studies have shown that SNS users may suffer from excessive use, associated with addictive-like symptoms. With a focus on the popular SNS Facebook (FB), our aims in the current study were twofold: First, to explore the heterogeneity of FB usage and determine which kind of FB activity predicts problematic usage; second, to test whether specific impulsivity facets predict problematic use of FB. To this end, a sample of FB users (N = 676) completed an online survey assessing usage preferences (e.g., types of activities performed), symptoms of problematic FB use and impulsivity traits. Results indicated that specific usage preferences (updating one’s status, gaming via FB, and using notifications) and impulsive traits (positive and negative urgency, lack of perseverance) are associated to problematic FB use. This study underscores that labels such as FB “addiction” are misleading and that focusing on the actual activities performed on SNSs is crucial when considering dysfunctional usage. Furthermore, this study clarified the role of impulsivity in problematic FB use by building on a theoretically driven model of impulsivity that assumes its multidimensional nature. The current findings have identifiable theoretical and public health implications.
Dysfunctional use of cybersex has often been conceptualized as a ‘behavioral addiction’ sharing common traits with substance addiction. We describe the case of a treatment-seeking man, who displayed addictive use of pornography. The case is presented from two perspectives: (1) a symptom-based approach inspired by the addiction model of excessive sexual behaviors and (2) a process-based approach aimed to identify the psychological processes and risk factors that may foster the development of addiction-like symptoms. This article shows how case conceptualization according to a process-based approach is likely to result in psychological intervention that targets the specific processes and risk factors involved in addictive cybersex use.
The use of social networking sites is becoming increasingly popular. Although there are many studies investigating the problematic use of social networking sites such as Facebook, little is known about problematic Instagram use (PIU) and factors related to it. The present study developed a complex model in order to examine the mediating role of perceived feeling of presence (i.e., social, spatial, and co-presence) and escapism between using different Instagram features and PIU. A total of 333 Instagram users from a high school and a state university, aged between 14 and 23 years (Mage = 17.74 years, SD = 2.37, 61% female), completed a “paper-and-pencil” questionnaire comprising measures of social presence, spatial presence, co-presence, Instagram escapism, and PIU. In addition, frequency of use of five different Instagram features (i.e., watching live streams; watching videos; looking at posted photographs; liking, commenting on others’ posts; and getting likes and comments from others) were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. Analysis indicated that watching live streams was indirectly associated with PIU via escapism, spatial presence, and co-presence. Leaving likes and comments on others’ posts was both directly and indirectly associated with PIU via co-presence and escapism. Escapism mediated the relationships between social and spatial presence and co-presence and PIU. The findings of the present study appear to indicate that a minority of individuals use Instagram problematically and that problematic Instagram use is associated with the frequency of watching live streams, liking, and commenting on others’ posts on Instagram, being able to feel a higher sense of presence using Instagram, and using Instagram as an escape from reality.
Over the past two decades, young people’s engagement in online activities has grown markedly. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between two specific online behaviors (i.e., cyberbullying perpetration, problematic social media use) and their relationships with social connectedness, belongingness, depression, and self-esteem among high school and university students. Data were collected from two different study groups via two questionnaires that included the Cyberbullying Offending Scale, Social Media Use Questionnaire, Social Connectedness Scale, General Belongingness Scale, Short Depression-Happiness Scale, and Single Item Self-Esteem Scale. Study 1 comprised 804 high school students (48% female; mean age 16.20 years). Study 2 comprised 760 university students (60% female; mean age 21.48 years). Results indicated that problematic social media use and cyberbullying perpetration (which was stronger among high school students) were directly associated with each other. Belongingness (directly) and social connectedness (indirectly) were both associated with cyberbullying perpetration and problematic social media use. Path analysis demonstrated that while age was a significant direct predictor of problematic social media use and cyberbullying perpetration among university students, it was not significant among high school students. In both samples, depression was a direct predictor of problematic social media use and an indirect predictor of cyberbullying perpetration. However, majority of these associations were relatively weak. The present study significantly adds to the emerging body of literature concerning the associations between problematic social media use and cyberbullying perpetration.
Childhood maltreatment is associated with many maladaptive outcomes. This study sought to examine the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use using a cross-sectional sample of young adults aged 17-25 years (n = 1029). Specifically, we studied whether the relationship is mediated through (i) attachment anxiety, (ii) attachment avoidance, or (iii) both attachment dimensions operating in series with depressive symptoms. Results revealed that a history of childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with more problematic social media use. Both anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions independently mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic use of social media, but in opposing directions. Avoidant attachment was associated with less problematic social media use, whilst anxious attachment was associated with more problematic social media use. Avoidant attachment and depressive symptoms in series accounted for part of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. Anxious attachment and depressive symptoms in series fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. The results suggest that childhood maltreatment may influence social media use directly, but also indirectly. People experiencing depressive symptoms may overuse social media in an attempt to alleviate their distress. However, causality cannot be established with the current design.
Recent studies suggest that users’ preferences of social media use differ according to their individual differences and use motives, and that these factors can lead to problematic social media use (PSMU) among a minority of users. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the influences of (i) demographics and Big Five personality dimensions on social media use motives; (ii) demographics and use motives on social media site preferences; and (iii) demographics, personality, popular social media sites, and social media use motives on PSMU. The sample comprised 1008 undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 32 years (M = 20.49, SD = 1.73; 60.5% women). The participants completed a questionnaire comprising the Social Media Use Questionnaire, Social Media Usage Aims Scale, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Multiple linear and hierarchical regression analyses showed that social media use motives of (i) meeting new people and socializing, (ii) expressing or presenting a more popular self, and (iii) passing time and entertainment were associated with problematic social media use. Moreover, participants that preferred Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook reported higher scores of problematic social media use. Finally, being female, introverted, conscientious, agreeable, and neurotic were associated with PSMU. The findings offer empirical evidence for uses and gratifications theory because the findings demonstrated that (i) different personality traits predict different motives, (ii) different motives predict preference of different platforms, and (iii) different individual differences such as personality, preference of platform, and specific use motives predict PSMU.
Background and aims
Recent research has suggested that social networking site use can be addictive. Although extensive research has been carried out on potential addiction to social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Tinder, only one very small study has previously examined potential addiction to Instagram. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to examine the relationships between personality, self-liking, daily Internet use, and Instagram addiction, as well as exploring the mediating role of self-liking between personality and Instagram addiction using path analysis.
Methods
A total of 752 university students completed a self-report survey, including the Instagram Addiction Scale (IAS), the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the Self-Liking Scale.
Results
Results indicated that agreeableness, conscientiousness, and self-liking were negatively associated with Instagram addiction, whereas daily Internet use was positively associated with Instagram addiction. The results also showed that self-liking partially mediated the relationship of Instagram addiction with agreeableness and fully mediated the relationship between Instagram addiction with conscientiousness.
Discussion and conclusions
This study contributes to the small body of literature that has examined the relationship between personality and social networking site addiction and is one of only two studies to examine the addictive use of Instagram and the underlying factors related to it.
This study explored the relationships of childhood trauma, social anxiety absorption and fantasy dependence with maladaptive daydreaming (MD), a newly discovered behavioral addiction involving pervasive immersive, fanciful daydreaming that creates distress and dysfunction. Based on the responses of 315 university students, our data showed that MD correlated significantly with childhood trauma and social anxiety, with moderate effect sizes for both correlations. MD also significantly correlated with absorption and fantasy addiction with large effect sizes. After controlling for the relationships between the independent variables, childhood trauma and social anxiety no longer significantly correlated with MD, implying mediation. Although absorption did not mediate the relationship between social anxiety and MD, our mediation model suggested that childhood trauma and social anxiety may be independent risk factors for MD and that addiction to fantasy was an important mediating variable, explaining 65% of MD variance.
This paper describes the course of psychotherapeutic treatment of a 25-year-old man presenting with maladaptive daydreaming (MD), from analysis of the underlying rationale through the treatment process to the outcomes. MD, a condition marked by highly absorptive daydreaming , consumed many hours of his day and produced distress, dysfunc-tion, and excessive Internet use. Ontological analysis resulted in classifying MD characteristics under several categories: as a dissociative disorder of absorption, as a behavioral addiction, and as an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder producing significant attention deficits. The therapy plan was derived from evidence-based treatment modalities for conditions elucidated in the ontological analysis and included cognitive behavioral interventions as well as mindfulness meditation. Therapy was provided for a predetermined period of six months. MD and relevant indices were measured before and after therapy, as well as at a two-month follow-up. The data show that the client was able to reduce his daydreaming time by over 50% and his time spent on the Internet by over 70%. He reported an improvement of over 70% in his work and social adjustment. Nevertheless, his maladaptive daydreaming scale score and his self-assessed pleasure derived from daydreaming showed more modest gains. I discuss this discrepancy and suggest future research directions.
Background
Risky behaviors have been related to emotional regulation and attachment, which may constitute risk factors for developing an addictive behavior. However, there may also be differences between substance and non-substance-related addictions.
Aims
This study aimed to examine the relationship of emotional regulation and attachment, with substance (alcohol and drug abuse), and non-substance-related addictions (gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use) in adolescents and emerging adults. The study also aimed to examine gender differences for such predictors.
Methods
The sample comprised 472 students aged 13–21 years recruited from high schools and vocational education centers.
Results
Findings demonstrated that emotion regulation was predictive of all addictive behaviors assessed in this study (alcohol and drug abuse, gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use), whereas attachment predicted non-substance-related addictions (gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use). In addition, gender differences were found, with females scoring significantly higher in maternal and peer attachment, whereas males scored significantly higher in gambling disorder and video game addiction.
Conclusion
The findings may be useful for preventive and clinical interventions conducted with youth regarding addictive behaviors.
Background and aims
The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), a six-item self-report scale that is a brief and effective psychometric instrument for assessing at-risk social media addiction on the Internet. However, its psychometric properties in Persian have never been examined and no studies have applied Rasch analysis for the psychometric testing. This study aimed to verify the construct validity of the Persian BSMAS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch models among 2,676 Iranian adolescents.
Methods
In addition to construct validity, measurement invariance in CFA and differential item functioning (DIF) in Rasch analysis across gender were tested for in the Persian BSMAS.
Results
Both CFA [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.993; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.989; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.057; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.039] and Rasch (infit MnSq = 0.88–1.28; outfit MnSq = 0.86–1.22) confirmed the unidimensionality of the BSMAS. Moreover, measurement invariance was supported in multigroup CFA including metric invariance (ΔCFI = −0.001; ΔSRMR = 0.003; ΔRMSEA = −0.005) and scalar invariance (ΔCFI = −0.002; ΔSRMR = 0.005; ΔRMSEA = 0.001) across gender. No item displayed DIF (DIF contrast = −0.48 to 0.24) in Rasch across gender.
Conclusions
Given the Persian BSMAS was unidimensional, it is concluded that the instrument can be used to assess how an adolescent is addicted to social media on the Internet. Moreover, users of the instrument may comfortably compare the sum scores of the BSMAS across gender.
This paper is a comparative study of formal and informal social networks and their effects on subjective well-being in Australia, Britain, and China. Formal social networks are measured by group affiliations, and informal social networks are measured by personal connections with kin, friends, and acquaintances. An analysis of the national representative sample surveys from the three countries shows that the formal networks are of notable importance in increasing people’s subjective well-being in Britain and urban China, but the informal networks have much greater impacts in all three countries, particularly in rural China. We propose a cultural–structural interaction framework to explain the observed differences in the network influence on subjective well-being in the three countries.
Purpose of Review
In this study, we present a systematic review of empirical studies that have addressed the relationship between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and personality in the last 10 years (2007–2016). A systematic search of scientific literature identified 27 peer-reviewed empirical studies that examined the relationship between IGD and personality dimensions.
Recent Findings
The findings of recent empirical studies suggest that IGD is linked to a wide range of personality traits, domains, and disorders.
Summary
Although some personality factors such as high neuroticism, high impulsivity, and high aggressiveness emerged quite consistently as significant predictors of IGD across the studies, the overall result of this systematic review showed that different personality traits (more frequently, in combination) may play a pivotal role in the acquisition, development, and maintenance of IGD. Therefore, further research is needed to understand whether specific patterns of personality traits may predispose people to IGD.
Aim
Research into social networking addiction has greatly increased over the last decade. However, the number of validated instruments assessing addiction to social networking sites (SNSs) remains few, and none have been validated in the Italian language. Consequently, this study tested the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), as well as providing empirical data concerning the relationship between attachment styles and SNS addiction.
Methods
A total of 769 participants were recruited to this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multigroup analyses were applied to assess construct validity of the Italian version of the BSMAS. Reliability analyses comprised the average variance extracted, the standard error of measurement, and the factor determinacy coefficient.
Results
Indices obtained from the CFA showed the Italian version of the BSMAS to have an excellent fit of the model to the data, thus confirming the single-factor structure of the instrument. Measurement invariance was established at configural, metric, and strict invariances across age groups, and at configural and metric levels across gender groups. Internal consistency was supported by several indicators. In addition, the theoretical associations between SNS addiction and attachment styles were generally supported.
Conclusion
This study provides evidence that the Italian version of the BSMAS is a psychometrically robust tool that can be used in future Italian research into social networking addiction.
Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between maladaptive personality traits and Internet addiction symptoms among young adults. Even though the linkage between personality traits and problematic Internet use has already been investigated in several studies, the need exists to explore how dysfunctional variants of pesonality trait, as conceived in the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders, are linked to the misuse of the Internet in young adults.
Method: Three hundred forty-nine university students aged between 18 and 25 years old completed measures on Internet use, Internet addiction symptoms , and maladaptive personality traits.
Results: Internet addiction scores were associated with all of the DSM-5 domains of maladaptive personality traits. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed tha negative affectivity, disinhibition, and psychoticism predicted Internet addiction symptoms.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that clinical interventions aimed at fostering affect regulation and at integrating disorganized mental states may be helpful for young adults who display problematic Internet use.
Following the recent changes to the diagnostic category for addictive disorders in DSM-5, it is urgent to clarify what constitutes behavioural addiction to have a clear direction for future research and classification. However, in the years following the release of DSM-5, an expanding body of research has increasingly classified engagement in a wide range ofcommonbehavioursandleisureactivitiesaspossiblebehaviouraladdiction.Ifthisexpansiondoesnotend,boththerelevanceandthecredibilityofthe fieldofaddictivedisordersmightbequestioned,whichmaypromptadismissiveappraisal of the new DSM-5 subcategory for behavioural addiction. We propose an operational definition of behavioural addiction together with a number of exclusion criteria, to avoid pathologizing common behaviours and provide a common ground for further research. The definition and its exclusion criteria are clarified and justified by illustrating how these address a number of theoretical and methodological shortcomings that result from existing conceptualizations. We invite other researchers to extend our definition under an Open Science Foundation framework
Given the preponderance of social media in our increasingly saturated media environments , there is a need for greater understanding of how personality traits and states can influence problematic social media use. This study examines whether contextual age indicators (life satisfaction, interpersonal interaction, social activity), the fear of missing out, and the Big Five personality traits are significant predictors of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat addictions. A survey of 337 college students reveals that greater social activity is a positive predictor of addiction to Snapchat. Another significant finding is a positive relationship between social media addiction and the fear of missing out, which explained the most variance in addiction scores for Snapchat (16%). An inductive analysis of open-ended responses indicated strong similarities between those who claimed that they were addicted to these social media apps and those said that they were not addicted. Both groups described largely similar usage patterns and media dependency, yet several users did not
According to a“compensatory perspective”, this study aimed to examine the role of narcissism (both vulnerable and grandiose) in the relationship between emotion dysregulation, escapism motivation to play, and problematic gaming. In a sample of 405 World of Warcraft players, we tested a multiple mediation model in which the relationship between vulnerable/grandiose narcissism and problematic gaming was mediated by emotion dysregulation and escapism. Results showed that the model for vulnerable (but not grandiose) narcissism fitted the data very well. This study adds novel insight to our understanding of the mechanisms that support problematic gaming, suggesting that the emotion dysregulation-escapism connection can be boosted by the presence of vulnerable narcissistic traits. Consequently, clinicians should consider the relevance of vulnerable narcissistic personality traits in persons who display a problematic engagement with massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
Available here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1aepQheKdkBei
This study explored the network structure of Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD), and links between MD and emotional regulation difficulties. Participants (n = 542) completed an online survey on MD and emotional regulation difficulties. Two network models were estimated. In the MD-only network, items clustered in three communities, most items were positively connected, and difficulty controlling the daydream was most central. In the expanded network, there were many cross-construct associations, and limited emotional regulation strategies and difficulty controlling the daydream were most central. These findings indicate that difficulties with control is central to MD, and that MD may be related to dysfunctional emotional regulation.
Social Network Sites (SNSs) have been found to promote psychological well-being of individuals through bonding and bridging social capital by allowing users to engage in different networking activities with their close and weak ties. However, these findings primarily focus on younger population or adopt simplistic measures of SNS use without distinguishing different activities, leaving how specific SNS uses may affect older users' psychological well-being unclear. This study examined the effects of engaging in different Facebook activities on older users over 50 as compared to younger adults between 18 and 25, using Facebook behavioral data in conjunction with survey data. Drawing from Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and Uses and Gratification theory, it tested different effects of SNS activities on older and younger users’ psychological well-being. We found that compared to younger adults, older adults benefit less from having a large network and more from engaging in directed communication activities.
Considering the popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) and the inconsistent results regarding the effect of SNS use on subjective well-being, this study intended to address the question “why SNS fails to predict subjective well-being” by investigating the suppressing role of social overload and moderating role of fear of missing out (FoMO). A sample of 1319 Chinese adolescents was recruited to complete measures on SNS use, social overload, FoMO and subjective well-being. Results showed that SNS use had a positively direct effect on subjective well-being, while the indirect effect via social overload in this association was significantly negative, suggesting that SNS use had a suppressing effect on well-being via social overload. FoMO moderated the suppressing effect of social overload; specifically, the indirect and direct effects were both more potent for adolescents with higher FoMO. Implications and limitations of this study are also discussed.
Internet addiction has been found to be prevalent worldwide, including Asian countries, and related to several negative outcomes and other behavioral addictions. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), and nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9)have been extensively used to assess internet-related addictions. However, the three aforementioned instruments have rarely been used in Asian countries. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the BSMAS, SABAS, and IGDS-SF9 were appropriate for use in heterogeneous subsamples from Hong Kong and Taiwan. University students from Hong Kong (n = 306)and Taiwan (n = 336)were recruited via an online survey. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA)was used to assess measurement invariance of the BSMAS, SABAS, and IGDS-SF9 across the two subcultures. The original unidimensional structures of BSMAS, SABAS and IGDS-SF9 were confirmed through confirmatory factorial analysis in both subcultures. The MGCFA results showed that the unidimensional structures of the BSMAS and IGDS-SF9 were invariant across the two Chinese cultural areas (Hong Kong and Taiwan). However, the measurement invariance of the SABAS was established after some model modifications. In conclusion, the present study found that the Chinese BSMAS, SABAS, and IGDS-SF9 were all adequate instruments to validly assess internet-related addictions among university students. The three brief instruments used for assessing addictions to social media, smartphone applications, and online gaming are valid and psychometrically robust across two Chinese subcultures and can be used by healthcare professionals in these regions.
We develop a mediation model to explain the relationship between attachment and Social Networking Site (SNS) addiction. Drawing upon the Needs-Affordances-Features model, we investigate the mediating role of satisfaction of the innate psychological needs that are salient in the SNS context (i.e., need for relatedness, need for self-presentation, and need for autonomy). Based on an empirical study of 314 daily Facebook users, results reveal distinct effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on SNS addiction through the satisfaction of different psychological needs. Satisfaction of the need for relatedness and the need for self-presentation mediates the positive relationship between attachment anxiety and SNS addiction. Satisfaction of these needs also mediates the negative relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. Satisfaction of the need for autonomy mediates the positive relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. We conclude the study with the implications for research and practice.
Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is an extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and interferes with work and interpersonal functioning. In the current study, we investigated the nomological network of the MD construct and examined the psychometric properties of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) in an Italian sample. The MDS-16 is a self-report measure composed of 16 items designed to assess maladaptive daydreaming. Participants in this study were 468 individuals (333 volunteers, 56.8% females; 135 self-diagnosed maladaptive daydreamers, 78.5% females) between 18 and 56 years of age. MDS-16 scores showed good internal reliability. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a two-factor solution (interference with life and sensory-motor retreat); this solution was consistent with theory, and all items loaded in the expected direction. MDS-16 scores were associated with global psychopathology, traumatic experiences, maladaptive personality features, alexithymia, dissociation, shame feelings, and anxious attachment styles. Furthermore, MDS-16 scores showed satisfactory incremental validity, and an ROC curve analysis suggested that a cut-off value of 51 best discriminates between cases and non-cases of self-diagnosed MD. Results suggest that the scale is a suitable measure for assessing MD in Italian samples.
Background. From the theory of compensatory Internet use, escapism through videogames may constitute a coping strategy that is sometimes helpful but, in some cases, maladaptive. Yet, evidence supporting this view has, to date, been gathered only through the use of explicit self-reported questionnaires, which are known to be biased. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to test whether the escapism motive is related to a preference for the virtual environment. Method. A laboratory task that allowed the measurement of implicit attitudes, namely, the Affect Misattribution Procedure was created with stimuli from real world and videogames. The task was administered online with a series of questionnaire and completed by 273 online gamers from the community. Results. The results showed that participants had more positive attitudes toward pictures depicting virtual environments than toward those depicting real environments. Furthermore, those participants who frequently used videogames to escape real life and were highly engaged in video gaming had a more pronounced positive implicit attitude toward the virtual environment. Discussion. This study contributes to a better understanding of the psychological processes underlying escapism in videogames and calls for a refinement of the escapism construct, which can be related to both problematic (i.e., potential coping strategy) and nonproblematic patterns of videogame use. Among the limitations, it should be noted that the selection of stimuli related to videogames is restricted to one genre of game, and that the participants’ environment could not be controlled due to the online design.
The Dark Tetrad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, sadism) are associated with antisocial online behaviors. However, the mediating role of these behaviors between the Dark Tetrad and problematic social media use (PSMU) is unclear. Among a sample of 761 participants, we investigated direct and indirect associations of the Dark Tetrad traits with PSMU via cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and cybertrolling. Multiple mediation analyses demonstrated cyberbullying and cyberstalking fully mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and PSMU in the total sample and among men. Narcissism was indirectly associated with PSMU via cyberstalking in the total sample and among women. The relationship between sadism and PSMU was fully explained by cyberbullying and cyberstalking in the total sample. Cybertrolling was associated with sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, although it was not related to PSMU. We suggest that antisocial online behaviors may provide an explanation for the relationship between dark personality traits and PSMU with different behaviors mediating different traits among men and women.
The present study aimed to investigate: a) the contribution of the fear of missing out (FoMO) in explaining social media problematic use taking also into account the fear of being negatively evaluated and the perception of low self-presentational skills; b) the mediating role of positive metacognitions about social media use in the relationship between FoMO and social media problematic use. A sample of 579 undergraduates was recruited (54.6% F; mean age = 22.39 ± 2.82). Among females, the assessed structural model produced good fit to the data [χ2 = 101.11, df = 52, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% C.I. =0.04-0.07), CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.05]. FoMO and self-presentational skills were both directly and indirectly associated with social media problematic use through the mediation of positive metacognitions. Fear of negative evaluation was not associated with social media problematic use. Among males, FoMO had both a direct and an indirect effect on social media problematic use mediated by positive metacognitions. The fear of negative evaluation and self-presentational skills were only indirectly associated with social media problematic use through positive metacognitions. The assessed structural model produced good fit to the data [χ2 = 98.02, df = 55, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% C.I. =0.04-0.07), CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.07]. The present study confirmed the role of FoMO with respect to social media problematic use and highlighted for the first time the mediating role of positive metacognitions in this relationship.
The constant development of online social media features and related services has constantly attracted and increased the number of social media users. But, at the same time, a myriad of users have deviated themselves, temporarily or permanently, from social media use due to social media fatigue. Scholars have investigated different antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue. However, empirical relationships between psychosocial wellbeing and social media fatigue are currently not known. To bridge this gap, the current study utilises the stressor-strain-outcome framework (SSO) to examine whether psychosocial wellbeing measures, such as compulsive media use and fear of missing out, trigger fatigue and, furthermore, whether social media fatigue results in anxiety and depression. The study utilised repeated cross-sectional methodology whereby two waves of data (N = 1554, 1144) were collected to test the research model with adolescent social media users in India. The study findings suggest that compulsive media use significantly triggered social media fatigue, which later result in elevated anxiety and depression. Fear of missing out indirectly predicted social media fatigue through mediation of compulsive social media use. The theoretical and practical implications, limitations of the present study and agenda for future studies are presented and discussed.
Social media use is prevalent in today's society and has contributed to problems with social media addiction. The goal of the study was to investigate whether extraversion, neuroticism, attachment style, and fear of missing out (FOMO) were predictors of social media use and addiction. Participants in the study (N = 207) volunteered to complete a brief survey measuring levels of extraversion, neuroticism, attachment styles, and FOMO. In the final model of a hierarchical regression, younger age, neuroticism, and fear of missing out predicted social media use. Only fear of missing out predicted social media addiction. Attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted social media addiction, but this relationship was no longer significant after the addition of FOMO.