scholarly journals Smartphone Abuse Amongst Adolescents: The Role of Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Pérez de Albéniz Garrote ◽  
Laura Rubio ◽  
Begoña Medina Gómez ◽  
Cristina Buedo-Guirado

Adolescence is the stage of development where the reward and emotional regulation systems are yet to be adjusted and where most excessive behaviors start, like smartphone abuse. In addition, in this evolutionary period adolescents are more susceptible to behavioral changes through specific interventions or educational programs. Thus, it is fundamental to analyze the personality profile of those adolescents showing excessive mobile phone usage to properly approach later prevention strategies. Impulsivity is one of the most repeated variables associated with teenage addictions, although it has been observed that not all impulsive behaviors need to be detrimental. The aim of this study is to analyze how impulsivity affects smartphone addiction directly, but also indirectly, by assessing its association with sensation seeking variables (thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility) which are in turn decisive when using these technologies improperly. The sample was made up of 614 adolescents aged 13–18 attending secondary education from Burgos, Spain. Dickman Impulsivity Inventory, Sensation Seeking Scale, and Ad-hoc questionnaire on adolescent self-perception as to smartphone use were applied. Results show that 41.4% of participants admit to abusing smartphones sometimes, while 18.3% admit to abusing them more frequently and 24% to, at least ever, having defined themselves as smartphone addicts. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that gender (female), dysfunctional impulsivity and sensation seeking (disinhibition and thrill and adventure seeking) evidence 15.7% of variance in smartphone abuse. In addition, sensation seeking (thrill and adventure seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility) were found to mediate the relationship between dysfunctional impulsivity and smartphone abuse. Therefore, dysfunctional impulsivity was directly connected with teenage smartphone abuse, but also had an indirect stronger association through thrill and adventure seeking, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Zeidan ◽  
Souheil Hallit ◽  
Marwan Akel ◽  
Ismail Louragli ◽  
Sahar Obeid

Abstract Background Adults all over the world face serious issues from problematic smartphone use (PSU). It influences them negatively on a cognitive, behavioral, and emotional level, as well as on their tendencies and well-being. In Lebanon, the prevalence of PSU was shown to be 20.2% within the adult population, specifically with young adults (18–34 years old). This study investigates the validity and reliability of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) Arabic version. In addition, this study evaluates the association between PSU and affective temperaments and the mediating role of self-esteem in this association. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out between August and September 2020, using a sample of community-dwelling participants aged 18 to 29 years. The Smartphone Addiction Scale—Short Version was used to evaluate smartphone addiction among adolescents and adults. The five different temperaments of the patients were assessed by using the Affective temperament Scale (TEMPS‐A). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to evaluate self-esteem. Results 461 participants were included in this study. All items of the SAS were extracted and yielded a one-factor solution with Eigenvalues > 1 (variance explained = 49.96%; αCronbach = 0.886). The confirmatory analysis results consolidated those obtained from the factor analysis. Higher depressive temperament (B = 0.46) was significantly associated with more smartphone addiction, whereas higher self-esteem (B =  − 0.28) was significantly associated with less smartphone addiction. Self-esteem was found to mediate the association between depressive and hyperthymic temperaments with smartphone addiction. Conclusion This study added a better understanding of the high smartphone addiction rate among adults in Lebanon. It confirms the association between affective temperaments and PSU through the mediating effect of self-esteem on Lebanese adults.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalie Sherrell

<p>Deliberate firesetting is an international problem with significant personal and economic cost. Interest in fire has previously been identified as a unique predictor of deliberate firesetting, however little is known about how fire interest interacts with other factors to produce firesetting. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the role of fire interest by exploring how this construct interacts with previous exposure to fire and aspects of self and emotional regulation, and how this relates to firesetting behaviour. Two anonymous online studies were conducted among New Zealand adult community samples: Study 1 examined the relationship between fire interest, previous exposure to fire, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and sensation seeking (N = 146); Study 2 replicated the first study and explored the relationship between these factors and engagement in deliberate firesetting (N = 149). Results from both studies showed that only previous exposure to fire and sensation seeking were consistently positively correlated with fire interest, however, when other variables were controlled for via multiple regression analysis, the thrill/adventure seeking facet of sensation seeking was the only significant predictor of fire interest. In Study 2, logistic regression showed that only fire interest and impulsivity were significant predictors of deliberate firesetting. Moderation analyses indicated that thrill/adventure seeking moderates the relationship between fire interest and firesetting behaviour, while impulsivity does not. These findings extend previous research and theory by providing an initial understanding of how various factors may influence an individual’s level of fire interest and their engagement in deliberate firesetting. </p>


Author(s):  
Lukas Blinka ◽  
Kateřina Škařupová ◽  
Kristina Mitterova

Impulsivity has been shown to be related to both substance- and non-substance addictions. In the case of internet gaming addiction, on one hand, higher impulsivity and sensation seeking have been reported in problematic online gamers. On the other hand, problematic online gamers were also identified as introverted, socially anxious, and generally inhibited in behaviour. Our study investigates the role of dysfunctional impulsivity in gaming addiction. A sample of 1,510 Czech and Slovak online gamers completed a questionnaire that was advertised online and targeted the core of the gaming community. Internet gaming addiction was measured using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire (Charlton & Danforth, 2010). Dysfunctional impulsivity was measured using the 11 items of Dickman’s (1990) sub-scale of the Impulsivity Inventory. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for variables and a regression model was constructed using hierarchical linear regression to determine the association between online gaming addiction and dysfunctional impulsivity, while controlling for age, gender, and the frequency of online gaming. A set of chi-square tests was employed to compare the patterns of addiction criteria among highly impulsive addicted gamers and non-impulsive addicted gamers. Although dysfunctional impulsivity was a good predictor of gaming addiction (β = .252), it actually explained only about 7% of the addiction variance. Problematic gamers high on impulsivity had similar patterns of addiction criteria as non-impulsive gamers, with only one exception – they had a significantly higher tendency to relapse. There was no role of impulsivity in gaming engagement. The results suggest that dysfunctional impulsivity is a risk factor for online gaming addiction (similar to other addictions), but it does not have prominent explanatory value in itself. Also, the results show that problematic gamers high on impulsivity are more prone to relapse and reinstatement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina N. Trofimova ◽  
Anastasia A. Gaykalova

This review highlights the differential contributions of multiple neurochemical systems to temperament traits related and those that are unrelated to emotionality, even though these systems have a significant overlap. The difference in neurochemical biomarkers of these traits is analysed from the perspective of the neurochemical model, Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET) that uses multi-marker and constructivism principles. Special attention is given to a differential contribution of hypothalamic–pituitary hormones and opioid neuropeptides implicated in both emotional and non-emotional regulation. The review highlights the role of the mu-opioid receptor system in dispositional emotional valence and the role of the kappa-opioid system in dispositional perceptual and behavioural alertness. These opioid receptor (OR) systems, microbiota and cytokines are produced in three neuroanatomically distinct complexes in the brain and the body, which all together integrate dispositional emotionality. In contrast, hormones could be seen as neurochemical biomarkers of non-emotional aspects of behavioural regulation related to the construction of behaviour in fast-changing and current situations. As examples of the role of hormones, the review summarised their contribution to temperament traits of Sensation Seeking (SS) and Empathy (EMP), which FET considers as non-emotionality traits related to behavioural orientation. SS is presented here as based on (higher) testosterone (fluctuating), adrenaline and (low) cortisol systems, and EMP, as based on (higher) oxytocin, reciprocally coupled with vasopressin and (lower) testosterone. Due to the involvement of gonadal hormones, there are sex and age differences in these traits that could be explained by evolutionary theory. There are, therefore, specific neurochemical biomarkers differentiating (OR-based) dispositional emotionality and (hormones-based) body’s regulation in fast-changing events. Here we propose to consider dispositional emotionality associated with OR systems as emotionality in a true sense, whereas to consider hormonal ensembles regulating SS and EMP as systems of behavioural orientation and not emotionality.


Author(s):  
Liat Turgeman ◽  
Inbar Hefner ◽  
Maayan Bazon ◽  
Or Yehoshua ◽  
Aviv Weinstein

Problematic smartphone use is the excessive use of the smartphone with negative impacts on the quality of life of the user. We investigated the association between social anxiety and excessive smartphone use. The sample consisted of 140 participants, 73 male and 67 female university students with a mean age of 26 years and 4 months (SD = 3.38), who filled in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). Results showed a positive association between social anxiety and excessive smartphone use. Social anxiety explained 31.5% of the variance of ratings on the SAS. A second study investigated the interaction between abstinence and sensation seeking and excessive smartphone use. The sample consisted of 60 participants, 44 female and 16 male university students. The sample was divided into two experimental conditions: 30 participants were abstinent for 1.5 h from the smartphone and 30 participants were non-abstinent. Results showed that excessive smartphone use increased in the group that abstained compared to those who did not. Secondly, participants who had high baseline sensation-seeking ratings had higher scores of excessive smartphone use after abstinence compared with those with low ratings of sensation seeking. These studies indicate the contribution of social anxiety to problematic smartphone use and how it can be exacerbated by the combination of abstinence and high sensation seeking.


Author(s):  
Mehmet Şakiroğlu

The use of smart phones is quite common among young people. This may sometimes cause problems. Different steps are being taken in the schools regarding the rules that students should follow for the use of telephone. However, student-oriented solutions are needed. The main aim of this study is to reveal the role of self-control, difficulties in emotion regulation and having pet on problematic smartphone use. The sample consisted of 296 university students. In this study, “Personal Information Form”, “Brief Self-Control Scale”, “Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale” and “Smartphone Addiction Scale” were utilized to gather data. According to the findings of the research, high self-control ability and having a pet reduces the time spent on the use of problematic smart phone, whereas the difficulty of emotion control increases it. Findings are discussed within the framework of the related literature and some self-control and emotion regulation exercises were suggested for curricula.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bołdak ◽  
Monika Guszkowska

Summary Study aim: To determine the role of gender and experience level as factors differentiating state anxiety before and after a parachute jump, and to ascertain relationships between state anxiety and temperament features. Material and methods: The research involved 143 parachutists (98 men and 45 women) aged from 17 to 49 years old, including 73 beginners and 70 advanced parachutists. The following questionnaires were applied: the Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory by Zawadzki and Strelau, the Sensation Seeking Scale by Zuckerman, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberger et al. Results: There was a significant decrease in state anxiety level after a parachute jump (before M = 32.66; after M = 28.57; p < 0.001). Its level is significantly higher in beginners than in experienced skydivers (p < 0.001). The level of experience is also a negative predictor of state anxiety level before the jump and its decrease after the jump. Conclusion: As experience grows, the positive adaptation to stress caused by parachute jump appears, which results with lowering the state anxiety level.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Ju Ahmmad ◽  
◽  
Ma Hossain ◽  

Impulsivity has been shown to be related to both substance- and non-substance addictions. In the case of internet gaming addiction, on one hand, higher impulsivity and sensation seeking have been reported in problematic online gamers. On the other hand, problematic online gamers were also identified as introverted, socially anxious, and generally inhibited in social behaviour. This review study tried to investigate and correlate the role of dysfunctional impulsivity and sensation seeking in gaming addiction. Online gamers completed a questionnaire that was advertised online and targeted the core of the gaming community. Internet gaming addiction was measured using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire. Dysfunctional impulsivity was measured using the 11 items of Dickman’s (1990) sub-scale of the Impulsivity Inventory. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for variables and a regression model was constructed using hierarchical linear regression to determine the association between online gaming addiction and dysfunctional impulsivity, while controlling for age, gender, and the frequency of online gaming. A set of chi-square tests were employed to compare the patterns of addiction criteria among highly impulsive addicted gamers and non-impulsive addicted gamers. Dysfunctional impulsivity was a good predictor of gaming addiction (β = .252) which actually explained only about 7% of the addiction variance. Problematic gamers high on impulsivity had similar patterns of addiction criteria as non-impulsive gamers, with only one exception – they had a significantly higher tendency to relapse. There was no role of impulsivity in gaming engagement. The results suggested that dysfunctional impulsivity is a risk factor for online gaming addiction (similar to other addictions), but it does not have prominent explanatory value in itself. Also the results show that problematic gamers high on impulsivity are more prone to relapse and reinstatement.


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