The role of emotion regulation in an experimentally induced craving state

Abstract

Craving plays a fundamental role in decision-making models of non-substance addictive behaviors (see complementary presentation by the same authors in this conference). Craving is conceptualized as an emotion-driven state. Therefore, its control is a matter of emotion regulation, with two types of mechanisms involved: incidental and intentional. Incidental emotion regulation takes place before there is awareness of the craving state, whereas intentional emotion regulation does so afterwards. So far, in the studies conducted by our research team, craving has been assessed by asking the person to recall moments of intense craving in the past. In the experiment presented here, a state of craving will be experimentally induced by using an audio-guided procedure. For this purpose, 70 gamblers and 70 video game players, in a subclinical severity range, will be recruited to be administered the craving-inducing protocol (based on Cornil et al., 2019). Our aim here is to describe a pre-registered method to replicate our findings in cross-sectional studies, regarding the role of craving in incidental and intentional emotion regulation mechanisms (using as proxies urgency and cognitive emotion regulation strategies scales, respectively), and to present preliminary evidence, if available.

Full text

Preliminary findings suggest that an audio-guided procedure is successful in inducing
craving states in two groups of intensive video gamers and gamblers. This protocol has
proven to be a useful method for evaluating the connections between significant
constructs following the experimental creation of an active craving state.
The role of emotion regulation in an experimentally induced craving state
Jose López-Guerrero1,2, Francisco J. Rivero1,2, Ismael Muela1,2, Juan F. Navas3 y José C. Perales1,2
1Department of Experimental Psychology; Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC)
2University of Granada, Granada, Spain
3Department of Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Background
Craving plays a crucial role in models of non-substance addiction, being
driven by emotions and influencing compulsive behaviors. Models of addiction
and emotion regulation suggest that craving can be modulated by two types of
mechanisms: incidental or model-free, operating prior to the conscious
awareness of the craving state, and intentional or model-based, operating
once the craving has been subjectively appraised. Previous research has
assessed craving mainly by retrospective self-report of craving episodes.
However, in the current experiment, we innovatively induce a craving state
using an audio-guided procedure inspired by Cornil et al. (2019), in order to
assess its sensitivity to emotion regulation traits and processes.
Material and Methods
Sample:
Two independent groups of intensive (1) gamblers (excluding lottery-only
players) and (2) video game players.
Inclusion criteria:
Monthly or more frequent gambling during the last year, sub-clinical
gambling/gaming problems, no diagnosed mental disorders, over 18 years,
Spanish proficiency, severity (checked via GD9/IGD9 DSM-based scales) in
the 1-3 range for gambling, and the 1-4 range for gaming
Instruments:
1. GRACC
-6-Pre
9. ERQ
2. VAS
-Pre
10.
Psi-Q
3.
Sociodemographic data
11.
Gambling/gaming motives
4.
Gambling/gaming frequency
12.
Preferred modality
5.
TECVASP
13. Audio
6.
PANAS
14.
GRACC-6-Post
7.
S-UPPS-P
15.
VAS-Post
8.
GRACC-18
16. P
erceived reasons for the
increase
Listen to one of the audios
used in the procedure by
scanning the following QR
code
Pre-appraisal (model-free) regulation: Associative
processes (e.g. context-dependent extinction,
generalization by similarity) that take place before
being fully aware of the emotion
Post-appraisal (model-based) regulation: Strategic
processes (e.g. reappraisal, suppression, refocusing,
non-judgmental acceptance) that take place after the
emotion has become conscious and are used to deal
with it
Hypotheses:
(a) Craving/state compulsivity measures are expected to largely overlap.
(b) State-compulsivity/craving induction is expected to be more effective in gamblers than in video game players.
(c) Participants with elevated emotional impulsivity (urgency) are expected to show heightened sensitivity to the
induction.
(d) Emotion regulation strategies are not expected to influence raw sensitivity to craving induction.
(e) Hypotheses regarding the perceived reasons for craving increase remain open.
Preliminary results
Gamblers Video-game
players
N (Expected N) 22 (70) 18 (70)
Age 25,1 25,0
Gender 54,5% female 44,4% female
References
Cornil, A., Long, J., Rothen, S., Perales, J. C., de Timary, P., & Billieux, J. (2019).
The gambling craving experience questionnaire: Psychometric properties of a new
scale based on the elaborated intrusion theory of desire. Addictive behaviors, 95,
110-117.
Muela, I., Navas, J. F., Ventura-Lucena, J. M., & Perales, J. C. (2022). How to pin a
compulsive behavior down: A systematic review and conceptual synthesis of
compulsivity-sensitive items in measures of behavioral addiction. Addictive
behaviors, 134, 107410.
Perales, J. C., King, D. L., Navas, J. F., Schimmenti, A., Sescousse, G., Starcevic,
V., ... & Billieux, J. (2020). Learning to lose control: A process-based account of
behavioral addiction. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 108, 771-780.
Funding
Work by JLG, FJR, IM, JFN, and JCP is supported by a R&D project (Proyecto
I + D + i), funded by the Spanish Research Agency (Agencia Española de
Investigación), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e
Innovación) (MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033), with reference
PID2020-116535 GB-I00. JLG's work is supported by an individual research grant
(PRE2021-100665, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación). FJR’s work is supported by
an individual research grant (FPU21/00462, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación).
IM’s work is supported by an individual research grant (PRE2018-085150,
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades).
Access the pre-registered protocol
here: