Problematic Internet Use and Problematic Online Gaming Are Not the Same: Findings from a Large Nationally Representative Adolescent Sample

There is an ongoing debate in the literature whether problematic internet use (PIU) and problematic online gaming (POG) are two distinct conceptual and nosological entities or whether they are the same. The present study contributes to this question by examining the interrelationship and the overlap between PIU and POG in terms of gender, school achievement, time spent using the internet and/or online gaming, psychological wellbeing, and preferred online activities. Questionnaires assessing these variables were administered to a nationally representative sample of adolescent gamers (N=2,073; mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.87, 68.4% male). Data showed that internet use was a common activity among adolescents while online gaming was engaged in by a considerably smaller group. Similarly, more adolescents met the criteria for PIU than for POG and a small group of adolescents showed symptoms of both problem behaviors. The most notable difference between the two problem behaviors was in terms of gender. POG was much more strongly associated with being male. Self-esteem had low effect sizes on both behaviors, while depressive symptoms were associated with both PIU and POG, affecting PIU slightly more. In terms of preferred online activities, PIU was positively associated with online gaming, online chatting, and social networking while POG was only associated with online gaming. Based on our findings POG appears to be a conceptually different behavior than PIU and therefore data support the notion that Internet Addiction Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder are separate nosological entities

A cross-cultural re-evaluation of the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) in five countries

Research into the detrimental effects of excessive exercise has been conceptualized in a number of similar ways, including ‘exercise addiction’ , ‘exercise dependence’ , ‘obligatory exercising’, ‘exercise abuse’, and ‘compulsive exercise’. Among the most currently used (and psychometrically valid and reliable) instruments is the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). The present study aimed to further explore the psychometric properties of the EAI by combining the datasets of a number of surveys carried out in five different countries (Denmark, Hungary, Spain, UK, and US) that have used the EAI with a total sample size of 6,031 participants. A series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were carried out examining configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance. The CFAs using the combined dataset supported the configural invariance and metric invariance but not scalar invariance. Therefore, EAI factor scores from five countries are not comparable because the use or interpretation of the scale was different in the five nations. However, the covariates of exercise addiction can be studied from a cross-cultural perspective because of the metric invariance of the scale. Gender differences among exercisers in the interpretation of the scale also emerged. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is concluded that the study’s findings will facilitate a more robust and reliable use of the EAI in future research

Perfiles de ansiedad social de riesgo para dificultades interpersonales en una muestra de adolescentes españoles

Social anxiety has been widely studied over the past four decades. However, limited attention has been given to the relationship between social anxiety and interpersonal difficulties during adolescence. Adolescents exhibiting symptoms of social anxiety (SA) may also face challenges in their interpersonal interactions at school. This study aimed to identify distinct profiles of adolescents with social anxiety and examine whether these profiles differed in terms of the severity of their interpersonal difficulties (ID). A random cluster sampling was performed. The sample comprised 1,685 Spanish students (49.0% female) from 15 to 18 years old (M = 16.28, SD = 0.97). Participants completed the Spanish version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and the Questionnaire About Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents (QIDA). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) revealed four social anxiety profiles: mild SA, moderate SA, severe SA, and extreme SA. Multivariate analyses (MANOVA) indicated statistically significant differences in interpersonal difficulties across the four clusters with effect sizes between d = 0.23 and d = 0.91. The mild SA profile showed the lowest mean scores in interpersonal difficulties whereas the extreme SA profile showed the highest ones. Intervention strategies are suggested as preventive or corrective measures to support adolescents who fall in high-risk profiles.La ansiedad social ha sido ampliamente estudiada en las últimas cuatro décadas. Sin embargo, se ha prestado escasa atención a la relación entre la ansiedad social y las dificultades interpersonales durante la adolescencia. Los adolescentes que presentan síntomas de ansiedad social (AS) también se enfrentan a desafíos en sus interacciones interpersonales en la escuela. Este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar los distintos perfiles de adolescentes con ansiedad social y examinar si difieren en cuanto a la gravedad de sus dificultades interpersonales (DI). Se ha realizado un muestreo aleatorio por conglomerados. La muestra incluye 1685 estudiantes españoles (49.0% chicas) de 15 a 18 años (M = 16.28, DT = 0.97). Los participantes han completado la versión en español de la Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) y el Questionnaire About Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents (QIDA). El Análisis de Perfiles Latentes (LPA) revela cuatro perfiles de ansiedad social: AS leve, AS moderada, AS grave y AS extrema. Los análisis multivariados (MANOVA) indican diferencias estadísticamente significativas en dificultades interpersonales entre los cuatro grupos, con tamaños del efecto entre d = 0.23 y d = 0.91. El perfil de AS leve presenta las puntuaciones medias más bajas en dificultades interpersonales, mientras que el perfil de AS extrema presenta las más altas. Se sugieren estrategias de intervención como medidas preventivas o correctivas para apoyar a los adolescentes que presentan perfiles de alto riesgo

Perfiles de ansiedad social y auto-atribuciones académicas en estudiantes de Educación Secundaria ¿De qué hablamos realmente? Precisiones teóricas metodológicas, metodológicas y estadísticas

The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between academic self-attributions and subclinical social anxiety in a sample of Spanish adolescents and examine statistically significant differences in academic self-attributions among subgroups of socially anxious youth. Random cluster sampling was conducted. The final sample consisted of 717 Spanish students enrolled in Secondary Education (51% girls) aged 14 to 17 years (M = 15.68, SD = 1.16). The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS) were administered. Cluster analysis identified three clusters: (1) students with high social anxiety (n = 102) and high scores on fear of negative evaluation (FNE), anxiety toward strangers or new social situations (SAD-N), and anxiety in social situations in general (SAD-G); (2) students with moderate social anxiety (n = 290) and moderate scores on FNE, SAD-N, and SAD-G; and (3) students with low social anxiety (n = 325) and low scores on FNE, SAD-N, and SAD-G. Multivariate analyses (MANOVA) examined differences in the academic self-attributions across the three clusters of subclinical social anxiety, finding statistically significant differences in the six types of academic self-attributions (Wilks Lambda = .89, F(12,714) = 7.11, p < .001, η2 = .06), including success attributed to ability, success attributed to effort, success attributed to external causes, failure attributed to ability, failure attributed to effort, and failure attributed to external causes. The implications of these findings for Psychology and Education professionals are discussed.El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación entre las autoatribuciones académicas y la ansiedad social subclínica en una muestra de adolescentes españoles, así como comprobar si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en autoatribuciones académicas entre subgrupos de jóvenes con ansiedad social subclínica. Se realizó un muestreo aleatorio por conglomerados. La muestra final estuvo formada por 717 estudiantes españoles de Educación Secundaria (51 % mujeres) de 14 a 17 años (M = 15.68; DT = 1.16). Se administraron la Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) y la Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS). El análisis de conglomerados identificó tres clústeres: (1) estudiantes con alta ansiedad social (n = 102) y puntuaciones altas en miedo a la evaluación negativa (FNE), ansiedad en situaciones sociales nuevas o ante extraños (SAD-N) y ansiedad en situaciones sociales en general (SAD-G); (2) estudiantes con ansiedad social moderada (n = 290) y puntuaciones moderadas en FNE, SAD-N y SAD-G; y (3) estudiantes con baja ansiedad social (n = 325) y bajas puntuaciones en FNE, SAD-N y SAD-G. Los análisis multivariados (MANOVA) examinaron las diferencias en autoatribuciones académicas entre los tres grupos de ansiedad social subclínica, encontrando diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los seis tipos de autoatribuciones académicas (Lambda de Wilks = .89, F(12,714) = 7.11, p <.001, η2 = .06), incluyendo éxito atribuido a la capacidad, éxito atribuido al esfuerzo, éxito atribuido a causas externas, fracaso atribuido a la capacidad, fracaso atribuido al esfuerzo y fracaso atribuido a causas externas. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos hallazgos para profesionales de la Psicología y de la Educación

Exploring Pompeii: discovering hospitality through research synergy

Hospitality research continues to broaden through an ever-increasing dialogue and alignment with a greater number of academic disciplines. This paper demonstrates how an enhanced understanding of hospitality can be achieved through synergy between archaeology, the classics and sociology. It focuses on classical Roman life, in particular Pompeii, to illustrate the potential for research synergy and collaboration, to advance the debate on hospitality research and to encourage divergence in research approaches. It demonstrates evidence of commercial hospitality activities through the excavation hotels, bars and taverns, restaurants and fast food sites. The paper also provides an example of the benefits to be gained from multidisciplinary analysis of hospitality and tourism

Recent developments on the ALICE central Trigger processor

The ALI CE Central Trigger Processor has been constructed and tested, and will shortly be installed in the experimental area. In this review, we introduce the new developments in hardware and software, present a measurement of the minimum propagation time, and illustrate various trigger applications