Exploring Problematic Mobile Phone Attachment and Associations to Anxiety and Inhibitory Control After a Short-Term Smartphone Separation

This study investigates problematic smartphone attachment under conditions of short-term smartphone separation. Two experimental studies with randomized group allocation were designed to investigate effects of smartphone separation on anxiety and inhibitory control. Problematic smartphone use pathways were explored using a self-report measure. In the first experiment (N= 85) smartphone addicted participants showed an increase in state anxiety after 20 min of separation from their smartphones compared to a control group of non-addicted participants. There was no evidence for impaired inhibitory control based on a period of smartphone separation. In the second experiment the methodology was slightly varied, and the participants (N= 95) were provided with a task during a smartphone separation of 15 min. This led to a reduction of state anxiety for problematic attached participants but did not result in a change for unproblematic attached participants. Problematic attached participants showed a larger disturbance in inhibitory control undergoing a separation period than unproblematic attached participants. Moreover, the results provide supplementary evidence for the existence of specific problematic smartphone attachment pathways and further variables

Linguistic stress, within-word position, and grammatical class in relation to early childhood stuttering

Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the link that has been established between stuttering and linguistic stress in adolescents and adults (the so-called stress effect) can also be observed in childhood stuttering. To account for confounding variables, both within-word position and grammatical class were measured, because these factors covary with linguistic stress. Speech samples of twenty-two preschool children (mean time of 9 months since onset of stuttering) were analyzed. The relative stress of each syllable was rated and syllables were categorized into long and short stressed, unstressed and intermediately stressed syllables. Results showed that 98 % of stuttering events occurred on first syllables of words, i.e. a clear word-initial effect. Stuttering frequency on first syllables of function words was 16.9 % and significantly higher than the frequency of stuttered first syllables of content words (11.5 %). In function words short stressed syllables and intermediately stressed syllables were stuttered more often than unstressed syllables. The analysis for individual disfluency types revealed that, for function words, stuttering on short stressed syllables was associated with prolongations and syllable repetitions. However, in intermediately stressed syllables stuttering coincided most often with one-syllable word repetitions. This differentiation of the stress effect may suggest different causal mechanisms underlying these disfluency types

A consensus document on definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa

Purpose: Since the term orthorexia nervosa (ON) was coined from the Greek (ὀρθός, right and ὄρεξις, appetite) in 1997 to describe an obsession with “correct” eating, it has been used worldwide without a consistent definition. Although multiple authors have proposed diagnostic criteria, and many theoretical papers have been published, no consensus definition of ON exists, empirical primary evidence is limited, and ON is not a standardized diagnosis. These gaps prevent research to identify risk and protective factors, pathophysiology, functional consequences, and evidence-based therapeutic treatments. The aims of the current study are to categorize the common observations and presentations of ON pathology among experts in the eating disorder field, propose tentative diagnostic criteria, and consider which DSM chapter and category would be most appropriate for ON should it be included. Methods: 47 eating disorder researchers and multidisciplinary treatment specialists from 14 different countries across four continents completed a three-phase modified Delphi process, with 75% agreement determined as the threshold for a statement to be included in the final consensus document. In phase I, participants were asked via online survey to agree or disagree with 67 statements about ON in four categories: A–Definition, Clinical Aspects, Duration; B–Consequences; C–Onset; D–Exclusion Criteria, and comment on their rationale. Responses were used to modify the statements which were then provided to the same participants for phase II, a second round of feedback, again in online survey form. Responses to phase II were used to modify and improve the statements for phase III, in which statements that met the predetermined 75% of agreement threshold were provided for review and commentary by all participants. Results: 27 statements met or exceeded the consensus threshold and were compiled into proposed diagnostic criteria for ON. Conclusions: This is the first time a standardized definition of ON has been developed from a worldwide, multidisciplinary cohort of experts. It represents a summary of observations, clinical expertise, and research findings from a wide base of knowledge. It may be used as a base for diagnosis, treatment protocols, and further research to answer the open questions that remain, particularly the functional consequences of ON and how it might be prevented or identified and intervened upon in its early stages. Although the participants encompass many countries and disciplines, further research will be needed to determine if these diagnostic criteria are applicable to the experience of ON in geographic areas not represented in the current expert panel. Level of evidence_ Level V: opinions of expert committee