Explaining and predicting moments of impaired control in individuals with the aim to regulate their gaming behavior or pornography use: A multi-method study approach

• Applicant: Dr. Stephanie Antons
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology ; Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505991343

A moment of impaired control can be understood as behavioral response contrary to the intention to limit or refrain from the behavior. Gaming disorder (GD) and pornography-use disorder (PUD) are clinically relevant conditions. Although GD and PUD have been differently classified within the ICD-11, they share the characteristic of impaired control over the behavior. Impaired control in GD and PUD has rarely been investigated beyond the retrospective and self-reported symptom level. Accordingly, the true behavioral pattern within the natural environment and underlying mechanisms are unknown. Based on theories on addictive behaviors, failures of both self-control and self-regulation contribute to moments of impaired control, where their effects can vary between early and later stages of the addictive behavior. Self-control, which is relevant when directly exposed to specific stimuli, is influenced by mechanisms such as cue-reactivity, craving, approach action tendencies, and behavior-related inhibitory control. These mechanisms are associated with symptoms of GD and PUD and may also directly contribute to the occurrence of a moment of impaired control in the natural environment. Beyond this narrow definition of self-control also self-regulation mechanisms should be considered including the intrinsic motivation to regulate, the use of self-regulation strategies, and permissive beliefs. Studies that specifically focus on explaining and predicting moments of impaired control in GD and PUD in the natural environment are missing. However, knowledge on the mechanisms behind impaired control is important to identify individuals at risk for developing addictive behaviors such as GD or PUD and to develop prevention and intervention programs that help individuals to regain control over their behavior. The current project aims to 1) characterize the actual behavioral pattern of impaired control shown in the natural environment in both early and later stages of GD and PUD, 2) explain moments of impaired control in the natural environment by identifying relevant self-control and self-regulation mechanisms, and 3) predict the occurrence of moments of impaired control in the natural environment based on these mechanisms.The research project examines four groups of individuals: 1) regular/risky gamers, 2) pathological gamers, 3) regular/risky pornography users, 4) pathological pornography users in a multi-method approach. Laboratory measures as well as an ambulatory assessment over seven days will be combined to get a comprehensive and ecologically valid understanding of relevant mechanisms. Besides inferential statistics to explain impaired control, machine learning methods will be applied to predict the occurrence of moments of impaired control in GD and PUD within the natural environment.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Matthias Brand