Linyuan Deng

Impaired decision-making under risk is associated with gaming-specific inhibition deficits among college students with Internet gaming disorder

A growing body of evidence indicates that both inhibition and decision-making deficits play essential roles in the development and maintenance of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Clarifying whether impaired decision-making among individuals with IGD is related to poor inhibition will advance our understanding of IGD and contribute to intervention development. However, the relationship between these two functions remains unclear. In this study, we sought to systemically examine inhibitory processes, decision-making and the relationship between the two among individuals with IGD. Thirty-four individuals with IGD and 32 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. In comparison to HCs, IGD subjects demonstrated inhibition deficits during performance of the gaming-related Go/No-Go task and impaired decision-making under risk. In addition, errors on No-Go trials during the gaming-related Go/No-Go task were positively associated with decision-making impairments under risk but not under ambiguity among IGD subjects. These results suggest individuals with IGD are impaired in some aspects of inhibition and decision-making functions, and that decision-making deficits under risk are linked to poor inhibition specifically related to gaming cues, which has implications for the development of novel intervention.

Failure to utilize feedback causes decision-making deficits among excessive Internet gamers

Internet gaming addiction (IGA) is an increasing mental health issue worldwide. Previous studies have revealed decision-making impairments in excessive Internet gamers (EIGs) with high symptoms of IGA. However, the role of feedback processing in decision-making deficits among EIGs remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of feedback processing on decision-making deficits under risk among EIGs, using the Game of Dice Task (GDT) and a modified version of the GDT in which no feedback was provided. Twenty-six EIGs and 26 matched occasional Internet gamers (OIGs) were recruited. The results showed: (a) OIGs performed better on the original GDT than on the modified GDT (no feedback condition); however, EIGs performed similarly on both tasks; (b) EIGs and OIGs performed equally on the modified GDT; however, EIGs chose more disadvantageous options than OIGs on the original GDT; (c) EIGs utilized feedback less frequently on the original GDT relative to OIGs. These results suggest that EIGs are not able to utilize feedback to optimize their decisions, which could underlie their poor decision-making under risk.

Decision-Making for Risky Gains and Losses among College Students with Internet Gaming Disorder

Individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) tend to exhibit disadvantageous risky decision-making not only in their real life but also in laboratory tasks. Decision-making is a complex multifaceted function and different cognitive processes are involved in decision-making for gains and losses. However, the relationship between impaired decision-making and gain versus loss processing in the context of IGD is poorly understood. The main aim of the present study was to separately evaluate decision-making for risky gains and losses among college students with IGD using the Cups task. Additionally, we further examined the effects of outcome magnitude and probability level on decision-making related to risky gains and losses respectively. Sixty college students with IGD and 42 matched healthy controls (HCs) participated. Results indicated that IGD subjects exhibited generally greater risk taking tendencies than HCs. In comparison to HCs, IGD subjects made more disadvantageous risky choices in the loss domain (but not in the gain domain). Follow-up analyses indicated that the impairment was associated to insensitivity to changes in outcome magnitude and probability level for risky losses among IGD subjects. In addition, higher Internet addiction severity scores were associated with percentage of disadvantageous risky options in the loss domain. These findings emphasize the effect of insensitivity to losses on disadvantageous decisions under risk in the context of IGD, which has implications for future intervention studies.

Perceived Parent-Adolescent Relationship, Perceived Parental Online Behaviors and Pathological Internet Use among Adolescents: Gender-Specific Differences

This study examined the associations between adolescents’ perceived relationships with their parents, perceived parental online behaviors, and Pathological Internet Use (PIU) among adolescents. Additional testing was carried out to determine the effect of different genders (parent and adolescent). Cross-sectional data was collected from 4,559 students aged 12 to 21 years in the cities of Beijing and Jinan, People’s Republic of China. Participants responded to an anonymous questionnaire concerning their Internet use behavior, perceived parental Internet use behaviors, and perceived parent-adolescent relationship. Hierarchical linear regressions controlling for adolescents’ age were conducted. Results showed different effects of parent and adolescent gender on perceived parent-adolescent relationship and parent Internet use behavior, as well as some other gender-specific associations. Perceived father-adolescent relationship was the most protective factor against adolescent PIU with perceived maternal Internet use positively predicting PIU for both male and female adolescents. However, perceived paternal Internet use behaviors positively predicted only female adolescent PIU. Results indicated a different effect pathway for fathers and mothers on boys and girls, leading to discussion of the implications for prevention and intervention.

Craving Behavior Intervention in Ameliorating College Students' Internet Game Disorder: A Longitudinal Study

Craving, as a central feature of addiction and a precursor of relapse, is targeted recently in addiction intervention. While Internet gaming disorder (IGD), conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, is lack of effective treatment practice and exploration of its mechanism. This research aims to test the effectiveness and detect the active ingredients of craving behavior intervention (CBI) in mitigation of IGD among young adults. A total of 63 male college students with IGD were assigned into the intervention group (six-session CBI intervention) or the waiting-list control group. Structured questionnaires were administered at pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), 3-month follow-up (T3), and 6-month follow-up (T4). Compared to the control group, a significant decrease in the severity of IGD in intervention group was found at post-intervention and lasting to 6 months after intervention. The value changes of craving could partially mediate the relationship between intervention and changes of IGD among all effects tests (immediate, T2-T1; short-term, T3-T1; and long-term effects, T4-T1). Further, explorations of the active ingredients of intervention found depression relief and shift of psychological needs from Internet to real life significantly predict craving amelioration at both post-intervention and 6-month follow-up. Although preliminary, the current study provides evidence for the value of craving-aimed intervention practice in IGD treatment and identifies two potential active ingredients for mitigation of craving, and the long-term therapeutic benefits are further conferred. Registry name: The behavioral and brain mechanism of IGD; URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02550405; Registration number: NCT02550405.

Chinese college freshmen’s mental health problems and their subsequent help-seeking behaviors: A cohort design (2005-2011)

Based on cohort data obtained from 13,085 college freshmen’s (2005 to 2011) SCL-90 (the Symptom Check-List-90) reports and their subsequent 4-year psychological counseling help-seeking records, this study examined the association between college students’ mental health problems and help-seeking behaviors across four college years. Female students’ mental health problems and help-seeking behaviors increased from the 2005 to the 2011 cohorts and no changes emerged for male students across cohorts. Overall, male students reported higher levels of mental health problems than did female students in the first college year, whereas female students reported more help-seeking behaviors than did male students in the following four college years. College students’ mental health problems was associated positively with help-seeking behaviors. College students were more likely to seek help from the college psychological counselling center when they experienced relatively few or quite a lot of mental health issues (i.e., an inversed U shape). Implications for future studies and practices are discussed.

Parent-teacher partnership and high school students’ development in mainland China: the mediating role of teacher-student relationship

Abstract Parent-teacher partnership is associated closely with adolescents’ development. However, little is known about the association between parent-teacher partnership and Chinese high school students’ development. Therefore, this study examines whether and how parent-teacher partnership (objective contacts and subjective relationship quality) relates to high school students’ academic, career, and personal/social development among a national representative sample of 4,606 high school teachers from 61 high schools across 10 provinces of Mainland China. Both parent-teacher contacts and relationship were related to high school students’ development across all three domains (i.e., academic, career, and personal/social development). Parent-teacher relationship was more closely related to students’ developmental outcomes than parent-teacher contacts. Parent-teacher contacts were associated directly and indirectly with students’ developmental outcomes via parent-teacher relationship and teacher-student relationship. Implications for future studies and practice were discussed.

Inequity of sacrifice and marital satisfaction in Chinese young couples

There is an emerging body of research focusing on the positive and negative effects of sacrifice on relationship quality, but few of them have investigated the effects of the inequity of sacrifice. In the light of social exchange theory and equity theory, this study examines the roles inequity of sacrifice plays in marital satisfaction in China. Based on the questionnaires completed by 115 Chinese young couples, we find that wives’ perceived inequity of sacrifice, rather than husbands’ perceived inequity or the actual inequity of sacrifice, is predictive to both spouses’ marital satisfaction. In addition, wives’ perceived overbenefit positively predicts, while underbenefit negatively predicts both spouses’ marital satisfaction, which means when wives perceive their husbands’ sacrifice more than themselves, both of them have higher satisfaction. In accordance with social exchange theory but not equity theory, our findings highlight the important and subtle roles perceived inequity of sacrifice behaviours plays in the marriages of Chinese young couples. Practitioner points The importance of perceived inequity implies that clients’ perceptions should be paid more attention than the content of their stories The strong predictive power of wives’ but not husbands’ perceived inequity suggests we should keep gender difference in mind when working with couples, especially young couples Young couples may care about their own advantages more than the equity of their relationship, which should be accommodated in clinical work

The Relationship between Time Spent Online and Internet Addiction among Chinese College Freshmen: A Mediated Moderation Model

Internet addiction is becoming a worldwide mental health problem, and college students are one of several subgroups most vulnerable to this problem. Empirical studies have found that spent more time online may predict Internet addiction. This result is compatible with the theory of usage and gratification regarding the Internet. However, other empirical studies suggest that this association between time online and Internet addiction is moderated by the extent to which the Internet is used for social interactions. Thus, the first aim of the study was to examine the relationship between Internet addiction and time spent online and to determine whether the ratio of Internet for social use to total Internet use moderated this relationship. Studies have also found that craving for Internet use, which may lead to increased feelings of pleasure and reward when using the Internet, may present a key psychological variable in predicting and maintaining the intensity and degree of Internet addiction. According to the theory of conditioning-based craving, this craving is an unconscious reaction formed by repetitive stimulations that are especially pleasant and rewarding. The second aim of the study was to examine the extent to which Internet craving might mediate the relationship between time spent online and Internet addition. Considering that Internet-based social interactions may be more likely to provide people with pleasure and immediate rewards, we also tested whether the moderating effect of the ratio of Internet social use may be completely or partially mediated by craving for Internet use.A sample of 2250 freshmen was recruited for the study to answer a series of anonymous questionnaires reporting their Internet addiction level, their Internet use status, and their level of Internet use craving. Based on theories of usage and gratification regarding the Internet and conditioning-based models of craving proposed in the literature, a mediated moderation model was constructed in which the ratio of Internet social use moderated the relationship between the time spent online and Internet addiction and this moderated effect of Internet addiction was mediated by the craving of Internet use. The data were analyzed by the Structural Equation Model using the AMOS 17.0 program. Our findings are as follows:(1) students spent 13.58 ± 8.94 hours per week online on average and Internet social use occupied 27.18 ± 18.15% of the total time of Internet use;(2) time spent online, the ratio of Internet social use, and craving for Internet use showed significant positive correlations with the five dimensions of Internet addiction and its total score;(3) time spent online and the ratio of Internet social use directly predicted Internet addiction. The ratio of Internet social use moderated the relationship between time spent online and Internet addiction. That is, subjects with a higher ratio of Internet social use showed significantly higher Internet addiction levels relative to subjects with a lower ratio of Internet social use, and the ability of time spent online to predict Internet addiction was comparatively lower for subjects who had greater social use of the Internet. Additionally, the moderating effect of the ratio of Internet social interaction was partially mediated by craving of Internet use. In summary, this study suggests that future studies of Internet addiction might investigate the type and the craving of peoples Internet use in addition to their time spent online. Our findings provide a theoretical and empirical basis for future work on prevention and intervention efforts relating to Internet addiction.