Cognitive Bias Modification on Tabletops

Interest in Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) has been increasing in the field of Human Computer Interaction recently. CBM is usually presented as a training mechanism in desktops computers in the context of psychology therapy. Tabletop technologies can provide an interesting platform for delivering CBM training effectively due to their unique characteristics. However, no evidence of previous CBM interventions over Tabletop has been found. Furthermore, Smartphones are part of our daily life and although using these devices is highly enjoyable, most users develop a psychological dependency over them and lose control on its usage creating an addictive behaviour. Smartphone addicts can experiment problems such as low productivity, social isolation, mood changes, and sleeping disorders among others. In this report we present an experimental study that explore the feasibility of a CBM intervention on a Tabletop to counter Smartphone addiction. An Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) prototype was developed an deployed in a Microsoft Surface. 40 participants were recruited to receive CBM training. Our preliminary results provide evidence of a possible approach bias towards the Smartphone device and interesting interactions between the factors of our experiment. Although further data analysis is required to strongly support these claims, our study provide interesting insights for both Smartphone addiction and CBM research fields.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovació

Cognitive Bias Modification on Tabletops

Interest in Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) has been increasing in the field of Human Computer Interaction recently. CBM is usually presented as a training mechanism in desktops computers in the context of psychology therapy. Tabletop technologies can provide an interesting platform for delivering CBM training effectively due to their unique characteristics. However, no evidence of previous CBM interventions over Tabletop has been found. Furthermore, Smartphones are part of our daily life and although using these devices is highly enjoyable, most users develop a psychological dependency over them and lose control on its usage creating an addictive behaviour. Smartphone addicts can experiment problems such as low productivity, social isolation, mood changes, and sleeping disorders among others. In this report we present an experimental study that explore the feasibility of a CBM intervention on a Tabletop to counter Smartphone addiction. An Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) prototype was developed an deployed in a Microsoft Surface. 40 participants were recruited to receive CBM training. Our preliminary results provide evidence of a possible approach bias towards the Smartphone device and interesting interactions between the factors of our experiment. Although further data analysis is required to strongly support these claims, our study provide interesting insights for both Smartphone addiction and CBM research fields.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovació

A multi-modal investigation of reward-based mechanisms underlying excessive and problematic social networking site use

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) has become a universally popular activity, but there also exists widespread concerns regarding the harmful consequences associated with SNS overuse, including the potential for addiction. Nonetheless, the extent to which a ‘SNS addiction’ represents a valid psychiatric disorder is still controversially discussed in the scientific literature. The present thesis sought to better understand excessive and problematic SNS use behaviours by assessing the underlying reward-based mechanisms using a range of measurement modalities (i.e., self-report, implicit behavioural, psychophysiological, and neural). Chapter two demonstrated the utility of reward-related motives in predicting problematic SNS use behaviours, with motives related to social reward (e.g., obtaining ‘likes’) being the strongest predictor of more harmful use. Chapter three assessed explicit and implicit motivational responses to SNS stimuli but found no clear evidence of altered explicit cue reactivity or automatic action tendencies in more problematic SNS users. Chapter four tracked changes in affective and motivational responses during a week of restricted SNS use, however findings revealed no substantial impact on mood or cravings in both regular and problematic users. Chapter five investigated the effect of brief periods of SNS use and subsequent use cessation on heart rate and skin conductance. While SNS use and cessation were associated with distinct physiological changes, these effects were experienced ubiquitously and could not differentiate problematic users from regular users. Chapter 6 systematically reviewed the MRI literature for evidence of neural abnormalities associated with SNS use. Some neural similarities with substance use addictions were identified, but existing research was scarce and findings across studies were largely inconsistent. Taken together, we did not find convincing evidence of a distinct cognitive, behavioural, or physiological profile in problematic SNS users. Therefore, the present thesis argues that conceptualising excessive or problematic SNS use as a new behavioural addiction would be premature. It is clear that SNS use is a highly rewarding and engaging activity that can be overused with negative effects, but equating this behaviour to conditions such as alcohol, cocaine, and heroin disorders risks trivialising the field of addiction research

Smartphone Addiction and Peer Relations in Nursing Students

Smartphone Addiction and Peer Relations in Nursing Student

Intolerance of uncertainty and impulsivity in opioid dependency

Opioid abuse has reached epidemic status in the United States, and opioids are the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Australia and worldwide. One factor that has not received attention in the addiction literature is intolerance of uncertainty (IU). IU is personality trait characterised by exaggerated negative beliefs about uncertainty and its consequences. This thesis investigates the links between IU and impulsive decision-making in the context of opioid-dependency. Four experimental studies examined impulsive decision-making from multiple perspectives, and assessed for the first time how impulsivity interacts with IU in opioid-dependent individuals. Across all four studies, opioid-dependent adults reported markedly higher levels of IU compared to a healthy control group. This consistent result provides strong evidence that IU is a personality trait that is related to drug addiction, whether it may be a pre-morbid risk factor, a result of chronic drug use or a co-occurring phenomenon based on shared neural correlates. A common thread between studies was that IU and impulsivity were meaningfully related in opioid-dependent individuals, but not in control groups. Specifically, IU was correlated with self-reported impulsive personality traits, poor attentional control, risk taking for monetary losses and risk-aversion for health improvements. No meaningful correlations were found between IU and impulsivity in control participants. These findings have important implications for addiction prevention and therapy. It is commonly accepted that pharmaceutical opioids are a driving factor for the upsurge in heroin abuse, and IU may be helpful to screen for at-risk individuals. Furthermore, addiction treatment could benefit by addressing IU in order to improve faulty beliefs about and reactions to uncertainty