A systematic review of the relationship between generic and specific metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation: A metacognitive model of emotion dysregulation.

Although a probable association between metacognitive beliefs (also termed 'metacognitions') and emotion dysregulation has been suggested in the literature, the evidence is still sparse and inconclusive. The current study aims to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature examining the association between metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation. In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a search was conducted on PubMed and Ebsco. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Search terms were 'metacognitions/metacognitive beliefs/positive metacognitive beliefs/negative metacognitive beliefs/cognitive self-consciousness/beliefs about the need to control thoughts/cognitive confidence/negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger/AND difficulties emotion regulation/emotion dysregulation'. A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. In both non-clinical and clinical populations, a higher endorsement of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs was found to be associated with emotion dysregulation and vice versa. A higher endorsement of metacognitive beliefs may be associated, either directly or via maladaptive forms of mental control (e.g., worry, rumination and suppression) to emotion dysregulation. Metacognitive beliefs could be the potential therapeutic target in clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotion regulation difficulties.

Agreement and discrepancies in patient-clinician reports of DSM-5-TR section III maladaptive personality traits: A study on a mixed outpatient sample.

The assessment of personality pathology based on dimensional models may improve self-other agreement, but previous research mainly adopted a categorical approach and overlooked the role of the person of the therapist. Our study examined patient-clinician agreement in a mixed sample of Italian outpatients using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the PID-5-Informant Form (PID-5-IRF). Moreover, the role of clinician personality traits on agreement was preliminary explored. Sixty-eight outpatients (51.4% male, M = 30.30, SD = 12.05 years) and their treating clinicians (N = 22; 77.3% female, M = 43.77 ± 8.45 years) entered the study. Patients completed the PID-5, whereas clinicians filled-in the PID-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF) and the PID-5-IRF for each patient they involved. A multilevel Bayesian analysis showed that rank-order agreement was large for domains (mean r = .60) and moderate for facets (mean r = .44). As regards mean-level agreement, patient ratings on cognitive/perceptual dysregulation, distractibility, eccentricity, and emotional lability were higher than clinician ratings, whereas patients' scores on depressivity were lower than clinicians' ones. Scores on the PID-5-BF detachment positively predicted agreement on anhedonia, anxiousness, depressivity, distractibility, separation insecurity, and suspiciousness, while scores on the PID-5-BF negative affectivity, antagonism, and disinhibition negatively predicted agreement on few specific facets. Current findings suggest that clinician personality traits may contribute to agreement on maladaptive personality traits, but areas of discrepancies remain in case of low observable internal ones. Since patient-clinician agreement is crucially involved in therapeutic alliance, further research on this issue is highly encouraged. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the desire thinking questionnaire in adolescent mobile phone users.

BACKGROUND: Desire thinking is a conscious and voluntary cognitive process that is closely linked to levels of craving and addictive behaviors. The Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ) can be used to measure desire thinking in all age groups as well as in addicts. This measurement has also been translated into several languages. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the DTQ (DTQ-C) among adolescent mobile phone users. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-seven adolescents who own a mobile phone and are younger than 18 years old completed the DTQ-C and a battery of questionnaires assessing the big five personality traits, negative affect, brooding, self-control, craving, and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). The psychometric analyses of the DTQ-C were conducted, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability, and validity analysis. RESULTS: The EFA revealed a 10-item two-factor structure (i.e., verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration) that was confirmed by the CFA. The results of CFA showed fit indexes of χ2/df = 4.83, CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.032. The total scale had internal consistency reliabilities of 0.93, which demonstrated that DTQ-C presented good reliability. The two dimensions were correlated with PMPU (rverbal perseveration = 0.54; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.45), neuroticism (rverbal perseveration = 0.18; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.14), conscientiousness (rverbal perseveration = -0.19; rimaginal prefiguration = -0.18), depression (rverbal perseveration = 0.22; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.16), anxiety (rverbal perseveration = 0.26; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.22), stress (rverbal perseveration = 0.15; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.10) and self-control (rverbal perseveration = -0.29; rimaginal prefiguration = -0.26), which demonstrated that DTQ-C presented good concurrent validity. The two factors of DTQ-C correlated weakly with brooding (ranging from 0.08 to 0.10). The principal component factor analysis of the two dimensions of desire thinking and craving showed that craving and desire thinking belonged to different dimensions. Both of which showed good divergent validity of desire thinking. Additionally, an examination of incremental validity revealed that two factors were both positively associated with PMPU beyond demographic characteristics, big five personality traits, negative affect, and self-control (Bverbal perseveration = 0.49 and Bimaginal prefiguration = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: It has been found that the 10-item DTQ-C is a reliable and valid measure of desire thinking in Chinese adolescent mobile phone users.

Desire thinking and craving as predictors of problematic Internet pornography use in women and men.

INTRODUCTION: According to the recent adaptation of the I-PACE model, desire thinking and craving might be closely related to problematic Internet pornography use. The overall aim of the present study was to investigate the role of two components of desire thinking (imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration) and craving in problematic Internet pornography use. Furthermore, we examined gender differences in the underlying mechanism linking desire thinking to problematic Internet pornography use. METHOD: A total of 414 Italian adults (mean age = 27.55 years, SD = 6.13; age range = 18-58; 53.6 % men) participated in this study. Participants completed an online survey to assess problematic Internet pornography use, pornography craving, desire thinking and problematic Internet use. Path analyses and a multi-group approach were used to test the relationships among variables and to explore gender differences. RESULTS: Imaginal prefiguration was associated to pornography craving which, in turn, was associated to verbal perseveration as proximal antecedent of problematic Internet pornography use, above and beyond the effect of age, relationship status, and problematic Internet use. Two paths significantly differed between men and women: the path between verbal perseveration and problematic Internet pornography, which for women was weaker and did not reach significance; and the path between problematic Internet use and problematic Internet pornography use that was not significant for women. CONCLUSIONS: In line with the I-PACE model, the present study provided support for the potential role of desire thinking in problematic Internet pornography use as a specific Internet-use disorder and expanded the literature in the field by testing unexplored gender differences. Preventive and clinical implications are discussed.

Characteristics, mechanisms, and perceivability of combination tones in violins.

Combination tones (CTs) generated by the inner ear have been widely investigated in the past, starting from the famous Tartini's "third tone." Instead, much less attention has been dedicated to the CTs generated by musical instruments. In this paper, the CTs generated by a set of violins of different quality and age have been investigated when playing a selected set of dyads. CTs were found in all of the violins, and the strongest of them occurred at a frequency below the lower note of the dyad. Its amplitude was strongly dependent on violin and dyad played and was greatest in two old Italian violins and decreased down to a minimum in a factory-made violin. All of these findings are well explained by the boosting action of A0, the main air resonance of the violin that correlates well with the strongest CT. A listening test, performed using selected dyads and violins, showed that the differences between dyads with and without CTs were correctly recognized by a group of professional and amateur musicians, suggesting a possible musical significance of the main CT. The results investigating the possible source of violin nonlinearity are also described.

The Italian COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale: Investigation of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and its association with psychological symptoms in an Italian population.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a quick and reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a preliminary validation of the Italian version of the C-19ASS and investigated whether the C-19ASS would mediate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and psychological outcomes. METHOD: In Study 1, a community sample of 271 participants completed the Italian version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to a Principal Component Analysis. In study 2, a community sample of 484 participants completed the Italian version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing COVID-19 anxiety, COVID-19 fear, functional impairment, personality traits, depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, concurrent and incremental validity were assessed. Path analyses were run. RESULTS: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS Perseveration and C-19ASS Avoidance) and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Italian version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency. There was also evidence of convergent validity and incremental validity. Path analyses showed that C-19ASS Perseveration mediates the relationship between emotional stability and psychological symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety and health anxiety). CONCLUSION: The Italian version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce psychological symptoms typically linked to pandemic events, such as depression generalized anxiety and health anxiety.

Difficulties in emotion regulation: The role of repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs.

BACKGROUND: Using the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model as a basis, this study explored whether, in both general population and clinical samples, metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking (i.e., rumination and worry) are associated with higher levels of emotion dysregulation. METHODS: 395 participants from the general population and 388 outpatients seeking psychological treatment were recruited. Emotion dysregulation, metacognitive beliefs, rumination, worry, anxiety, depression, personality disorders were assessed. ANOVA and Welch's tests, correlation and path analyses were run. RESULTS: Repetitive negative thinking was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation in both general population and clinical samples. Moreover, metacognitive beliefs were found to be directly associated to emotion dysregulation. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Emotion dysregulation appears to be associated with the tendency to engage in repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs. Repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce difficulties in emotion regulation.

Delay discounting of compliance with containment measures during the COVID-19 outbreak: a survey of the Italian population.

Aim: Unprecedented community containment measures were taken following the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy. The aim of the study was to explore the self-reported future compliance of citizens with such measures and its relationship with potentially impactful psychological variables. Subjects and methods: An online survey was completed by 931 people (18-76 years) distributed across the Italian territory. In addition to demographics, five dimensions were measured: self-reported compliance with containment measures over time (today, at 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days from now) at three hypothetical risk levels (10, 50, 90% of likelihood of contracting the COVID-19), perceived risk, generalized anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and relevance of several psychological needs whose satisfaction is currently precluded. Results: The mean compliance scores follow a hyperbolic-like curve, decreasing over time for the lowest level of risk (10%), whilst they tend to flatten for ≥ 50% risk (90%). Significantly higher levels of anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and perceived risk were reported by women compared to men (p < 0.001 for each variable). Outdoor sports was the only need associated with the discounting rate of compliance (r s = - 0.08, p = 0.018). Conclusion: The duration of containment measures plays a crucial role in tackling the spread of the disease as people will be less compliant over time. Psychological needs of citizens impacting on the compliance should be taken into account when planning an easing of the lockdown, along with interventions for protecting vulnerable groups from mental distress.

Fear of missing out (FoMO) and internet use: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: FoMO has been considered a predisposing factor toward excessive internet use, and a great deal of literature has investigated the link between FoMO and internet use. However, there is still a lack of cohesion in the literature. METHODS: The current study have been conducted and reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS: In the current systematic review and meta-analysis of 86 effect-sizes, representative of 55,134 participants (Mean age = 22.07, SD = 6.15, females = 58.37%), we found that the strength of the trait FoMO- internet use association significantly varies from r = 0.11 to r = 0.63. In some populations, FoMO appears to increase with age and it is reverse in other populations. Facebook use was unrelated to FoMO in some populations, and higher FoMO was linked with stopping Instagram use for some individuals. The FoMO- internet use association was independent of their severity, as the interaction was not significant, and this association was neither linear nor curvilinear. The FoMO-internet use association does not appear to be associated with depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms or level of life satisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic was the only significant moderator of the FoMO-internet use association, strengthening this relationship. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: FoMO demonstrates a considerable role in internet use; however, there is no evidence of interaction or bi-directional association between the mentioned. Overall, we still don't know what factors contribute to individuals exhibiting distinct patterns in the FoMO-internet use association.

Effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis of sham or behaviour-controlled studies.

BACKGROUND: The possibility of using noninvasive brain stimulation to treat mental disorders has received considerable attention recently. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are considered to be effective treatments for depressive symptoms. However, no treatment recommendation is currently available for anxiety disorders, suggesting that evidence is still limited. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of rTMS and tDCS in the treatment of anxiety disorders. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, we screened 3 electronic databases up to the end of February 2020 for English-language, peer-reviewed articles that included the following: a clinical sample of patients with an anxiety disorder, the use of a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, the inclusion of a control condition, and pre/post scores on a validated questionnaire that measured symptoms of anxiety. RESULTS: Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria, comprising 154 participants assigned to a stimulation condition and 164 to a sham or control group. We calculated Hedge's g for scores on disorder-specific and general anxiety questionnaires before and after treatment to determine effect size, and we conducted 2 independent random-effects meta-analyses. Considering the well-known comorbidity between anxiety and depression, we ran a third meta-analysis analyzing outcomes for depression scores. Results showed a significant effect of noninvasive brain stimulation in reducing scores on disorder-specific and general anxiety questionnaires, as well as depressive symptoms, in the real stimulation compared to the control condition. LIMITATIONS: Few studies met the inclusion criteria; more evidence is needed to strengthen conclusions about the effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anxiety disorders. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that noninvasive brain stimulation reduced anxiety and depression scores compared to control conditions, suggesting that it can alleviate clinical symptoms in patients with anxiety disorders.

Repetitive Negative Thinking and Eating Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of the Role of Worry and Rumination.

The role of worry and rumination in eating disorders (EDs) is controversial. This meta-analysis of the literature is aimed at clarifying the relationship between repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and EDs. In accordance with the PRISMA criteria, a comprehensive search of the literature was conducted on PubMed and PsycInfo from inception to March 2021. Search terms: "eating disorder/anorexia/bulimia/binge eating disorder" AND "worry/rumination/brooding/repetitive thinking". A manual search of reference lists was also run. Forty-three studies were included. RNT was found to be associated with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. A moderating effect was found for "presence/absence ED diagnosis" and "subtype of ED symptom". ED patients showed higher RNT than the general population. No differences were observed for age or between worry and rumination in the magnitude of their association with EDs.

Metacognitions, rumination, and worry in personality disorder.

Research on metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking in patients with Personality Disorder (PD) is scarce. We aimed to determine if metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking differed between patients with PD and those without PD, and if metacognitions would predict repetitive negative thinking in patients with PD controlling for several variables. A sample of 558 clinical participants were assessed for the presence of a PD diagnosis and completed the following questionnaires: Penn-State Worry Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Compared to patients without a diagnosis of PD, patients with a PD diagnosis reported higher scores on both rumination and worry (as well as depression and anxiety) and three out of five of the MCQ-30 subscales (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, and beliefs about the need to control thoughts). Furthermore, the results of two hierarchical regression analyses in patients with a diagnosis of PD indicated that positive beliefs about worry and negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger were independent predictors of worry, and that negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger and cognitive self-consciousness were independent predictors of rumination. Metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking may play a role in the severity of psychological distress experienced in PD presentations. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adverse childhood experiences and repetitive negative thinking in adulthood: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that repetitive negative thinking (worry and rumination) may be more common among adults who have been exposed to childhood adverse experiences, leading to emotional disorders and other adverse outcomes. The current study aims to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature examining the relationship between the exposure to childhood adversities, repetitive negative thinking and clinical outcomes in adulthood. METHODS: In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a search was conducted on PubMed and Ebsco. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Search terms were 'childhood adversity/childhood abuse/childhood neglect/early loss event AND worry or rumination'. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. In both non-clinical and clinical populations, worry and rumination seem to be common among adults exposed to childhood abuse or childhood neglect. Among adults who have been exposed to childhood adversities, rumination seems to be associated with worse clinical outcomes such as severe psychiatric symptoms, depression, dysphoria, suicidal ideation, cognitive complaints, post-traumatic stress symptoms and aggression. CONCLUSION: Early experiences of abuse and neglect may be associated with a tendency to engage in repetitive negative thinking, such as worry and rumination, in adulthood. Among adults, with a history of childhood adversities, tailored treatment to reduce repetitive negative thinking should be considered.

Metacognitions as a predictor of online gaming in adolescents: Psychometric properties of the metacognitions about online gaming scale among Iranian adolescents.

The Metacognitions about Online Gaming Scale (MOGS) measures maladaptive metacognitions about online gaming. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the MOGS, including its factor structure, reliability, and predictive validity among Iranian adolescents. The scale was administered to 769 Iranian adolescents (577 male, mean age = 16.39 ± 1.68 years) with an age range of 15-19 years. The participants completed the Persian-translated version of the MOGS, the Big Five Inventory-10, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21, the Video-Game Related Cognitions Scale, the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire, and the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (n = 350) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (n = 419) confirmed three-factors similar to the parent version, including "negative metacognitions about uncontrollability of online gaming" (N-MOGU), "negative metacognitions about dangers of online gaming" (N-MOGD), and "positive metacognitions about online gaming" (P-MOG). The Persian MOGS's reliability showed a suitable internal consistency for the P-MOG, the N-MOGU, the N-MOGD, and the total score in both confirmatory and exploratory samples (range 0.79 to 0.93). A hierarchical regression analysis showed that the Persian MOGS predicted 33.9% of the variance in problematic online gaming independently of personality traits, anxiety, depression, stress, and both gaming-related cognitions and gaming motives. Furthermore, the results of analyses of variance with follow-up Bonferroni pairwise comparisons showed that interaction between the factors of MOGS and types of game and tools of gaming was significant. The findings provide evidence that the Persian MOGS among Iranian adolescents appears psychometrically appropriate to be used by researchers and practitioners dealing with the prevention and treatment of problematic online gaming.

Metacognitive beliefs across eating disorders and eating behaviours: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Literature has pointed out a probable association between metacognitive beliefs and eating disorders. To date, no study has synthetized all research exploring the differences or similarities in metacognitive beliefs across different eating disorders diagnoses and eating problems. AIMS: To review the evidence on metacognitive beliefs across the spectrum of eating disorders and eating behaviours. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed and PsycInfo. The search terms used were: 'eating disorders/anorexia/bulimia/binge eating disorder/binge eating' AND 'metacognitions/metacognitive beliefs'. A manual search of reference lists was also run. RESULTS: Eleven studies were identified. Anorexia Nervosa was broadly characterized by higher levels of metacognitive beliefs compared to the general population, particularly negative beliefs about worry and beliefs about the need to control thoughts. Positive beliefs about worry were higher in Anorexia Nervosa compared to Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, and in Bulimia Nervosa compared to Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Negative beliefs about worry were higher in Anorexia Nervosa compared to Bulimia Nervosa. Cognitive self-consciousness was higher in Anorexia Nervosa compared to Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. CONCLUSIONS: Metacognitive beliefs appear to be implicated in eating disorders and eating behaviours.

The effect of desire thinking on facilitating beliefs in alcohol use disorder: An experimental investigation.

Permissive beliefs relate to the acceptability of engaging in alcohol use in spite of obvious potential negative consequences. They are considered the most proximal and precipitating cognitive factor in the decision to use alcohol and/or the activation of strategies to obtain it. Recent research suggested that 'desire thinking' may be involved in the escalation of craving and addictive behaviours and can play a role in strengthening permissive beliefs. The current study tested whether the induction of desire thinking would have a stronger effect on rate of conviction in permissive beliefs compared to a control cognitive response in the form of neutral thinking and whether this effect would be specific for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Thirty AUD patients and 30 social drinkers (SD) were randomly allocated to two thinking manipulation tasks (desire thinking and neutral thinking). Current permissive beliefs were measured before and after manipulation and after a resting phase. Findings showed that desire thinking increased the level of current permissive beliefs after manipulation relative to the neutral thinking condition for the AUD group but not for the SD group. This effect was not purely dependent on the concurrent level of perceived craving. This study supports a causal relationship between the induction of desire thinking and rate of conviction in permissive beliefs and highlights the relevance of targeting desire thinking in the treatment for AUD patients.

Rumination thinking in childhood and adolescence: a brief review of candidate genes.

BACKGROUND: rumination has been reported as a cognitive vulnerability factor in adolescent and adult depression. The present brief review aimed at summarizing the results of the genetic studies that investigate the candidate genes for rumination in children and adolescents. METHODS: bibliographic research was conducted on PubMed and Science Direct from their inception to February 2020. The search terms used were: 'rumination, ruminative thinking, repetitive thinking and 'gene, gen*'. RESULTS: eight studies were identified. Results suggest that variations in the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF genes may contribute to the tendency to ruminate, modelling the relationship between life stress and rumination. LIMITATIONS: the interpretation of these results is limited by the sample sizes of the selected studies, the study designs, and the heterogeneity of the instruments assessing rumination. CONCLUSIONS: these findings partially support the notion that variation in in the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF genes is associated with biological sensitivity to rumination.

Validity of a Norwegian version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ): Associations with problem drinking, nicotine dependence and problematic social media use.

The aim of the current study was to test the validity of the Norwegian version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ). Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted investigating the psychometric properties of the DTQ in alcohol use (N = 588), nicotine use (N = 446) and social media use (N = 359). Principal components and confirmatory factor analyses supported the original two-factor solution consisting of verbal perseveration (VP) and imaginal prefiguration (IP); however, one item was removed to obtain good fit. Internal consistency was acceptable. Both IP and VP showed significant correlations with problem drinking, nicotine dependence and problematic social media use. Regression analyses, controlling for demographics and negative affect, found IP and VP to be significantly associated with all dependent variables. The results confirm that desire thinking is an important construct across different addictive behaviours.

Desire thinking as a predictor of compulsive sexual behaviour in adolescents: Evidence from a cross-cultural validation of the Hebrew version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process that involves the perseverative focus on memories, images and information related to a desired target. The aim of the present study was to validate the Hebrew version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ; Caselli & Spada, 2011) in a sample of adolescents and to investigate its relationship with measures of thought suppression, impulsivity and individual-based compulsive sexual behaviour. METHODS: In Study 1, a convenience sample of 718 adolescents completed the newly translated Desire Thinking Questionnaire in Hebrew (DTQ-H) and results were subjected to an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). In Study 2, a convenience sample of 379 adolescents completed a battery of questionnaires including the DTQ-H. A Confirmatory Factors Analysis was performed on the DTQ-H and validity was ascertained by correlating with other measures. RESULTS: In Study 1, a 9-item two-factor structure was identified. A 6-item two-factor structure was confirmed in Study 2. Results also indicated that the DTQ-H has acceptable levels of reliability, and good concurrent and incremental validity in predicting compulsive sexual behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: The 6-item DTQ-H appears to be a reliable and valid measure of desire thinking and may be used also on adolescents - an understudied population.

Social anxiety and Internet gaming disorder: The role of motives and metacognitions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In recent years, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized as a mental health problem. Although research has found that social anxiety, motives, the preference for online social interactions (POSI), and metacognitions about online gaming are independent predictors of IGD, less is known about their relative contribution to IGD. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between social anxiety, motives, POSI, metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD. METHODS: Five hundred and forty three Italian gamers who play more than 7 h a week (mean age = 23.9 years; SD = 6.15 years; 82.5% males) were included in the study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that social anxiety was directly associated with four motives (escape, coping, fantasy, and recreation), POSI, and positive and negative metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD. The Sobel test showed that negative metacognitions about online gaming played the strongest mediating role in the relationship between social anxiety and IGD followed by escape, POSI, and positive metacognitions. The model accounted for 54% of the variance for IGD. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings show that, along with motives and POSI, metacognitions about online gaming may play an important role in the association between social anxiety and IGD. The clinical and preventive implications of these findings are discussed.