Examining network structure of impulsivity and depression in adolescents and young adults: A two-sample study.

BACKGROUND: Depression ranks as one of the top five contributors to ill health in youth, the most formative period in life. Extensive research has highlighted the significant role of impulsivity in understanding depression. However, there has been limited exploration into how each dimension of impulsivity uniquely affect depressive symptoms, especially across crucial developmental stages like adolescence and young adulthood. METHODS: This study investigates the unique relationships between impulsivity (assessed by the short UPPS-P scale) and depression (assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9) via network analysis. We analysed data from a total of 2296 participants, comprising 858 adolescents aged 14-17 years and 1438 young adults aged 18-25 years, to estimate both a combined network and age-group specific networks. Key features of the networks, including their structure, global connectivity, and bridge nodes, were compared. RESULTS: The results indicated that age differentially impacts individual depression symptoms, both directly and indirectly, via impulsivity dimensions. The comparison test revealed consistent network structures between the two age groups, with several robust pathways, such as lack of perseverance to concentration difficulties, sensation seeking to suicidal ideation, and negative urgency to feelings of worthlessness. Negative urgency and lack of perseverance were identified as bridge nodes across the two networks. LIMITATIONS: The study employed a cross-sectional design, which limits the ability to estimate causal or temporal relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings highlight the significance of tailoring intervention strategies to individual symptom profiles and assessing negative urgency and lack of perseverance as potential early targets for depression among youth.

Problematic pornography use and novel patterns of escalating use: A cross-sectional network analysis with two independent samples.

Modern internet pornography allows users to harness sexual novelty in numerous ways, which can be used to overcome desensitisation through increasing volume of use (quantitative tolerance), progressing to more stimulating genres (qualitative escalation), skipping between stimuli (tab-jumping), delaying orgasm ('edging'), and engaging in pornographic binges. However, existing research has not yet evaluated how these potentially reciprocal consumption patterns relate to problematic pornography use (PPU). To this end, we recruited two independent samples of male pornography users (N1 = 1,356, Mage = 36.86, SD = 11.26; N2 = 944, Mage = 38.69, SD = 12.26) and examined the relationships between these behavioural dimensions and self-reported difficulties in controlling one's pornography use. Data were analysed through the network analysis approach (using Gaussian graphical models). As hypothesised, i) quantitative tolerance was centrally placed within the overall network, and ii) acted as a statistical bridge node between other patterns of pornography use (e.g., pornographic binges), and all measured facets of PPU. Our results are consistent with other emerging literature suggesting that tolerance, pornographic binges, tab-jumping, and edging behaviours as relevant features ofPPU, and that upscaling overall usage may connect broader patterns of use with problematic engagement. Clinical and theoretical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

Examining the unique relationships between problematic use of the internet and impulsive and compulsive tendencies: network approach.

BACKGROUND: Both impulsivity and compulsivity have been identified as risk factors for problematic use of the internet (PUI). Yet little is known about the relationship between impulsivity, compulsivity and individual PUI symptoms, limiting a more precise understanding of mechanisms underlying PUI. AIMS: The current study is the first to use network analysis to (a) examine the unique association among impulsivity, compulsivity and PUI symptoms, and (b) identify the most influential drivers in relation to the PUI symptom community. METHOD: We estimated a Gaussian graphical model consisting of five facets of impulsivity, compulsivity and individual PUI symptoms among 370 Australian adults (51.1% female, mean age = 29.8, s.d. = 11.1). Network structure and bridge expected influence were examined to elucidate differential associations among impulsivity, compulsivity and PUI symptoms, as well as identify influential nodes bridging impulsivity, compulsivity and PUI symptoms. RESULTS: Results revealed that four facets of impulsivity (i.e. negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation and lack of perseverance) and compulsivity were related to different PUI symptoms. Further, compulsivity and negative urgency were the most influential nodes in relation to the PUI symptom community due to their highest bridge expected influence. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings delineate distinct relationships across impulsivity, compulsivity and PUI, which offer insights into potential mechanistic pathways and targets for future interventions in this space. To realise this potential, future studies are needed to replicate the identified network structure in different populations and determine the directionality of the relationships among impulsivity, compulsivity and PUI symptoms.

Overcoming resistance to belief revision and correction of misinformation beliefs: psychophysiological and behavioral effects of a counterfactual mindset.

In a series of experiments involving beliefs and misinformation beliefs, we find that individuals who are prompted with a counterfactual mindset are significantly more likely to change their existing beliefs when presented with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. While research finds that beliefs that are considered part of one's identity are highly resistant to change in the face of evidence that challenges these beliefs, four experiments provide evidence that counterfactual generation causes individuals to adjust beliefs and correct misinformation beliefs in response to contradicting evidence. Indeed, we find that a counterfactual mindset was effective in promoting incorporation of accurate facts and causing individuals to revise misinformation beliefs about COVID vaccination safety for a large sample of individuals who have rejected COVID vaccinations. Finally, the results of the psychophysiological experiment reveal that counterfactual generation alters decision makers' search strategies, increases their cognitive arousal in response to evidence that challenges their beliefs, and increases their desire to seek out disconfirming evidence. Overall, the four experiments indicate that counterfactual generation can effectively activate mindsets that increase individuals' willingness to evaluate evidence that contradicts their beliefs and adjust their beliefs in response to evidence.

Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Methods for Assessing Executive Functioning: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychological assessments traditionally include tests of executive functioning (EF) because of its critical role in daily activities and link to mental disorders. Established traditional EF assessments, although robust, lack ecological validity and are limited to single cognitive processes. These methods, which are suitable for clinical populations, are less informative regarding EF in healthy individuals. With these limitations in mind, immersive virtual reality (VR)-based assessments of EF have garnered interest because of their potential to increase test sensitivity, ecological validity, and neuropsychological assessment accessibility. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to explore the literature on immersive VR assessments of EF focusing on (1) EF components being assessed, (2) how these assessments are validated, and (3) strategies for monitoring potential adverse (cybersickness) and beneficial (immersion) effects. METHODS: EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched in July 2022 using keywords that reflected the main themes of VR, neuropsychological tests, and EF. Articles had to be peer-reviewed manuscripts written in English and published after 2013 that detailed empirical, clinical, or proof-of-concept studies in which a virtual environment using a head-mounted display was used to assess EF in an adult population. A tabular synthesis method was used in which validation details from each study, including comparative assessments and scores, were systematically organized in a table. The results were summed and qualitatively analyzed to provide a comprehensive overview of the findings. RESULTS: The search retrieved 555 unique articles, of which 19 (3.4%) met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies encompassed EF and associated higher-order cognitive functions such as inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning, and attention. VR assessments commonly underwent validation against gold-standard traditional tasks. However, discrepancies were observed, with some studies lacking reported a priori planned correlations, omitting detailed descriptions of the EF constructs evaluated using the VR paradigms, and frequently reporting incomplete results. Notably, only 4 of the 19 (21%) studies evaluated cybersickness, and 5 of the 19 (26%) studies included user experience assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Although it acknowledges the potential of VR paradigms for assessing EF, the evidence has limitations. The methodological and psychometric properties of the included studies were inconsistently addressed, raising concerns about their validity and reliability. Infrequent monitoring of adverse effects such as cybersickness and considerable variability in sample sizes may limit interpretation and hinder psychometric evaluation. Several recommendations are proposed to improve the theory and practice of immersive VR assessments of EF. Future studies should explore the integration of biosensors with VR systems and the capabilities of VR in the context of spatial navigation assessments. Despite considerable promise, the systematic and validated implementation of VR assessments is essential for ensuring their practical utility in real-world applications.

Clarifying and extending our understanding of problematic pornography use through descriptions of the lived experience.

Problematic pornography use (PPU) is a complex and growing area of research. However, knowledge of the PPU lived experience is limited. To address this gap, we conducted an online qualitative study with 67 individuals who self-identified as having problematic pornography use (76% male; Mage = 24.70 years, SD = 8.54). Results indicated several dimensions that have not been fully explored in the literature. These included various mental and physical complaints following periods of heavy pornography use, sexual functioning deficits with real partners, and a subjectively altered state of sexual arousal while using pornography. Moreover, we expanded on current knowledge regarding the inner conflict associated with PPU and clarified the ways that users can progress to increasingly intensified patterns of pornography use, such as tolerance/escalation and pornographic binges. Our study highlights the complex and nuanced nature of PPU and provides suggestions for future research and clinical practice.

A Novel, Expert-Endorsed, Neurocognitive Digital Assessment Tool for Addictive Disorders: Development and Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Many people with harmful addictive behaviors may not meet formal diagnostic thresholds for a disorder. A dimensional approach, by contrast, including clinical and community samples, is potentially key to early detection, prevention, and intervention. Importantly, while neurocognitive dysfunction underpins addictive behaviors, established assessment tools for neurocognitive assessment are lengthy and unengaging, difficult to administer at scale, and not suited to clinical or community needs. The BrainPark Assessment of Cognition (BrainPAC) Project sought to develop and validate an engaging and user-friendly digital assessment tool purpose-built to comprehensively assess the main consensus-driven constructs underpinning addictive behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to psychometrically validate a gamified battery of consensus-based neurocognitive tasks against standard laboratory paradigms, ascertain test-retest reliability, and determine their sensitivity to addictive behaviors (eg, alcohol use) and other risk factors (eg, trait impulsivity). METHODS: Gold standard laboratory paradigms were selected to measure key neurocognitive constructs (Balloon Analogue Risk Task [BART], Stop Signal Task [SST], Delay Discounting Task [DDT], Value-Modulated Attentional Capture [VMAC] Task, and Sequential Decision-Making Task [SDT]), as endorsed by an international panel of addiction experts; namely, response selection and inhibition, reward valuation, action selection, reward learning, expectancy and reward prediction error, habit, and compulsivity. Working with game developers, BrainPAC tasks were developed and validated in 3 successive cohorts (total N=600) and a separate test-retest cohort (N=50) via Mechanical Turk using a cross-sectional design. RESULTS: BrainPAC tasks were significantly correlated with the original laboratory paradigms on most metrics (r=0.18-0.63, P<.05). With the exception of the DDT k function and VMAC total points, all other task metrics across the 5 tasks did not differ between the gamified and nongamified versions (P>.05). Out of 5 tasks, 4 demonstrated adequate to excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.72-0.91, P<.001; except SDT). Gamified metrics were significantly associated with addictive behaviors on behavioral inventories, though largely independent of trait-based scales known to predict addiction risk. CONCLUSIONS: A purpose-built battery of digitally gamified tasks is sufficiently valid for the scalable assessment of key neurocognitive processes underpinning addictive behaviors. This validation provides evidence that a novel approach, purported to enhance task engagement, in the assessment of addiction-related neurocognition is feasible and empirically defensible. These findings have significant implications for risk detection and the successful deployment of next-generation assessment tools for substance use or misuse and other mental disorders characterized by neurocognitive anomalies related to motivation and self-regulation. Future development and validation of the BrainPAC tool should consider further enhancing convergence with established measures as well as collecting population-representative data to use clinically as normative comparisons.

Bridging the links between Big Five personality traits and problematic smartphone use: A network analysis.

Background: Existing research has demonstrated that problematic smartphone use (PSU) may reflect a composition of heterogeneous symptoms, with individual PSU symptoms uniquely related to predisposing variables. The Big Five personality traits represent one of the most frequently examined predisposing variables in relation to PSU. However, no studies to date have examined the trait-to-symptom association between the Big Five personality traits and PSU. Using a network analysis approach, we aimed to understand: 1) specific pathways linking each of the Big Five personality traits to PSU symptoms and 2) the bridging effects of each Big Five personality trait on the PSU symptom cluster. Methods: A regularised graphical Gaussian model was estimated among 1,849 Chinese university students. PSU symptoms were assessed with items from the Problematic Smartphone Use Scale. Facets of the Big Five personality traits were assessed with the subscales of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15. An empirical index (i.e., bridge expected influence) was used to quantify bridge nodes. Results: Results revealed specific and distinct pathways between the Big Five personality traits and PSU symptoms (e.g., Neuroticism-Escapism/Avoidance, Conscientiousness-Preoccupation and Extraversion-Escapism/Avoidance). Further, Neuroticism showed the highest positive bridge centrality among the Big Five personality traits, while Conscientiousness had the highest negative bridge centrality. Discussion and conclusions: The current study provided direct empirical evidence concerning specific pathways between the Big Five personality traits and PSU symptoms and highlighted the influential role of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness as potential targets for early detection and treatment of PSU.

Lifestyle risk factors for obsessive-compulsive symptoms and related phenomena: What should lifestyle interventions target?

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the impact of lifestyle on mental illness symptoms is important for informing psycho-education and developing interventions which target mental and physical comorbidities. Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders can have a significant impact on health-related quality of life and physical health. However, our understanding of the impact of lifestyle on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and broader compulsive and impulsive problematic repetitive behaviours is limited. AIMS: We investigated whether lifestyle factors predicted change in obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic repetitive behaviours in a general population sample over a 3-month period. METHODS: Eight hundred thirty-five participants completed an online questionnaire battery assessing lifestyle and mental health. Of these, 538 participants completed the same battery 3 months later. We conducted negative binomial regressions to analyse the association of lifestyle factors at baseline with future (1) obsessive-compulsive symptoms, (2) compulsive problematic repetitive behaviours and (3) impulsive problematic repetitive behaviours, adjusting for baseline obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic repetitive behaviours. RESULTS: Lower vegetable (p = 0.020) and oily fish (p = 0.040) intake and lower moderate intensity physical activity (p = 0.008) predicted higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms at follow-up. Higher intake of high-fat foods (p < 0.001) predicted higher compulsive problematic repetitive behaviours at follow-up. No lifestyle factors significantly predicted impulsive problematic repetitive behaviours at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our results speak to the potential importance of lifestyle quality screening, education and lifestyle interventions (e.g. an anti-inflammatory diet) for individuals experiencing compulsivity-related behaviours and/or symptoms. Further research into potential mechanisms of action will allow for more targeted approaches to lifestyle interventions for transdiagnostic compulsive behaviours.

Distress-driven impulsivity interacts with trait compulsivity in association with problematic drinking: A two-sample study.

Objective: Problematic drinking is highly prevalent among the general population, oftentimes leading to significant negative consequences, including physical injury, psychological problems and financial hardship. In order to design targeted early interventions for problematic drinking, it is important to understand the mechanisms that render individuals at risk for and/or maintain this behavior. Two candidate drivers of problematic drinking are distress-driven impulsivity and trait compulsivity, with recent research suggesting these constructs may interact to enhance risk for addictive behaviors. The current study examined whether individual differences in distress-driven impulsivity and trait compulsivity interact in relation to problematic drinking. Method: Distress-driven impulsivity (indexed by the S-UPPS-P negative urgency subscale), trait compulsivity (indexed by the CHIT scale) and problematic drinking (indexed by the BATCAP alcohol scale) were assessed in two independent online samples (Sample 1, n = 117; Sample 2, n = 474). Bootstrapped moderation analysis was conducted to examine whether trait compulsivity moderated the relationship between distress-driven impulsivity and problematic drinking. Results: In both samples, there was a significant interaction between distress-driven impulsivity and trait compulsivity in relation to problematic drinking. Follow-up tests revealed that, in both samples, higher distress-driven impulsivity was associated with more problematic drinking behaviors among participants with high trait compulsivity only. Conclusions: The current findings add to the growing literature supporting an interactive relationship between impulsivity and compulsivity-related traits in relation to addictive behaviors and have implications for informing early detection of risk and targeted early interventions.

The relations between emotion regulation, depression and anxiety among medical staff during the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis.

Existing research proposed that moving from a disorder-level analysis to a symptom-level analysis may provide a more fine-grained understanding of psychopathology. This study aimed to explore the relations between two dimensions (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, CR; expressive suppression, ES) of emotion regulation and individual symptoms of depression and anxiety among medical staff during the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic. We examined depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and emotion regulation among 420 medical staff during the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic via network analysis. Two networks (i.e. emotion regulation-depression network and emotion regulation-anxiety network) were constructed in the present study. Bridge centrality index was calculated for each variable within the two networks. Among the present sample, the prevalences of depression and anxiety are 39.5% and 26.0%. CR and ES showed distinct connections to symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results of bridge centrality showed that in both networks, CR had a negative bridge expected influence value while ES had a positive bridge expected influence value. The results revealed the specific role of CR and ES in relation to depression and anxiety at a symptom level. Implications for clinical preventions and interventions are discussed.

The Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility on the Association between Distress-Driven Impulsivity and Problematic Internet Use.

BACKGROUND: Problematic internet use is receiving increasing attention in the addiction field, yet the mechanisms driving such behaviours remain unclear. Previous research has shown that impulsivity- and compulsivity-related constructs may interactively contribute to a range of problematic behaviours. The current study examined whether distress-driven impulsivity and psychological flexibility may interactively contribute to problematic internet use, which has not been addressed in prior literature. METHOD: Two hundred and one participants completed an online survey. Bootstrapped moderation analysis was conducted to examine the collected data on distress-driven impulsivity, psychological flexibility, and their interaction in relation to problematic internet use. RESULTS: The interaction between distress-driven impulsivity and psychological flexibility was significantly related to problematic internet use. Simple slope tests confirmed that distress-driven impulsivity was associated with problematic internet use among individuals with low flexibility levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the moderating role of psychological inflexibility in the association between distress-driven impulsivity and problematic internet use. Prevention and/or early interventions for problematic internet use should consider targeting psychological inflexibility and distress-driven impulsivity.

Understanding the Association Between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Network Analysis.

Background: Existing research has demonstrated that intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is associated with problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, little is known about how different IU components such as uncertainty-related beliefs, emotions, and behaviors may impact on different PSU symptoms. Methods: Extending previous research, the current study examined the specific associations between IU components and PSU symptoms via a symptom-level network approach. A regularized partial correlation network consisting of different IU components and PSU symptoms was estimated among 1,849 Chinese university students. We examined pathways and influential nodes (i.e. central components/symptoms and bridge components/symptoms) within the IU-PSU network. Results: The strongest pathway linking IU and PSU was between emotional reactions to uncertainty and coping-motivated smartphone use. Importantly, emotional reactions toward not having enough information (a reflection of emotional reactions to uncertainty) may act as both a central and a bridge component in maintaining the whole IU-PSU network. Conclusions: The results are in line with the I-PACE model and highlight that PSU may be a coping response for negative emotions derived from uncertainty. Finally, the current findings highlight the potential of interventions targeting intolerance of uncertainty for reducing PSU.

The role of psychological distress in the relationship between lifestyle and compulsivity: An analysis of independent, bi-national samples.

BACKGROUND: Poor mental health is a state of psychological distress that is influenced by lifestyle factors such as sleep, diet, and physical activity. Compulsivity is a transdiagnostic phenotype cutting across a range of mental illnesses including obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance-related and addictive disorders, and is also influenced by lifestyle. Yet, how lifestyle relates to compulsivity is presently unknown, but important to understand to gain insights into individual differences in mental health. We assessed (a) the relationships between compulsivity and diet quality, sleep quality, and physical activity, and (b) whether psychological distress statistically contributes to these relationships. METHODS: We collected harmonized data on compulsivity, psychological distress, and lifestyle from two independent samples (Australian n = 880 and US n = 829). We used mediation analyses to investigate bidirectional relationships between compulsivity and lifestyle factors, and the role of psychological distress. RESULTS: Higher compulsivity was significantly related to poorer diet and sleep. Psychological distress statistically mediated the relationship between poorer sleep quality and higher compulsivity, and partially statistically mediated the relationship between poorer diet and higher compulsivity. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle interventions in compulsivity may target psychological distress in the first instance, followed by sleep and diet quality. As psychological distress links aspects of lifestyle and compulsivity, focusing on mitigating and managing distress may offer a useful therapeutic approach to improve physical and mental health. Future research may focus on the specific sleep and diet patterns which may alter compulsivity over time to inform lifestyle targets for prevention and treatment of functionally impairing compulsive behaviors.

Transferring cognitive talent across domains to reduce the disposition effect in investment.

We consider Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to correctly predict the intentions of others. To an important degree, good ToM function requires abstraction from one's own particular circumstances. Here, we posit that such abstraction can be transferred successfully to other, non-social contexts. We consider the disposition effect, which is a pervasive cognitive bias whereby investors, including professionals, improperly take their personal trading history into account when deciding on investments. We design an intervention policy whereby we attempt to transfer good ToM function, subconsciously, to personal investment decisions. In a within-subject repeated-intervention laboratory experiment, we record how the disposition effect is reduced by a very significant 85%, but only for those with high scores on the social-cognitive dimension of ToM function. No such transfer is observed in subjects who score well only on the social-perceptual dimension of ToM function. Our findings open up a promising way to exploit cognitive talent in one domain in order to alleviate cognitive deficiencies elsewhere.

Distress-driven impulsivity interacts with cognitive inflexibility to determine addiction-like eating.

BACKGROUND: Researchers are only just beginning to understand the neurocognitive drivers of addiction-like eating behaviours, a highly distressing and relatively common condition. Two constructs have been consistently linked to addiction-like eating: distress-driven impulsivity and cognitive inflexibility. Despite a large body of addiction research showing that impulsivity-related traits can interact with other risk markers to result in an especially heightened risk for addictive behaviours, no study to date has examined how distress-driven impulsivity interacts with cognitive inflexibility in relation to addiction-like eating behaviours. The current study examines the interactive contribution of distress-driven impulsivity and cognitive inflexibility to addiction-like eating behaviours. METHOD: One hundred and thirty-one participants [mean age 21 years (SD = 2.3), 61.8% female] completed the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale, the S-UPPS-P impulsivity scale, and a cognitive flexibility task. A bootstrap method was used to examine the associations between distress-driven impulsivity, cognitive inflexibility, and their interaction with addiction-like eating behaviours. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction effect between distress-driven impulsivity and cognitive flexibility (P = 0.03). The follow-up test revealed that higher distress-driven impulsivity was associated with more addiction-like eating behaviours among participants classified as cognitively inflexible only. CONCLUSION: The current findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying addiction-like eating behaviours, including how traits and cognition might interact to drive them. The findings also suggest that interventions that directly address distress-driven impulsivity and cognitive inflexibility might be effective in reducing risk for addiction-like eating and related disorders.

Reward-Related Attentional Capture Moderates the Association between Fear-Driven Motives and Heavy Drinking.

BACKGROUND: To date, there has been little investigation on how motivational and cognitive mechanisms interact to influence problematic drinking behaviours. Towards this aim, the current study examined whether reward-related attentional capture is associated with reward, fear (relief), and habit drinking motives, and further, whether it interacts with these motives in relation to problematic drinking patterns. METHODS: Ninety participants (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 9.1, 54% male) who reported having consumed alcohol in the past month completed an online visual search task that measured reward-related attentional capture as well as the Habit Reward Fear Scale, a measure of drinking motives. Participants also completed measures of psychological distress, impulsivity, compulsive drinking, and consumption items of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Regression analyses examined the associations between motives for alcohol consumption and reward-related attentional capture, as well as the associations between reward-related attentional capture, motives, and their interaction, with alcohol consumption and problems. RESULTS: Greater reward-related attentional capture was associated with greater reward motives. Further, reward-related attentional capture also interacted with fear motives in relation to alcohol consumption. Follow-up analyses showed that this interaction was driven by greater fear motives being associated with heavier drinking among those with lower reward-related attentional capture (i.e., "goal-trackers"). CONCLUSION: These findings have implications for understanding how cognition may interact with motives in association with problematic drinking. Specifically, the findings highlight different potential pathways to problematic drinking according to an individual's cognitive-motivational profile and may inform tailored interventions to target profile-specific mechanisms. Finally, these findings offer support for contemporary models of addiction that view excessive goal-directed behaviour under negative affect as a critical contributor to addictive behaviours.

The Influence of Trait Compulsivity and Impulsivity on Addictive and Compulsive Behaviors During COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in high levels of psychological distress worldwide, with experts expressing concern that this could result in corresponding increases in addictive behaviors as individuals seek to cope with their distress. Further, some individuals may be at greater risk than others for developing problematic addictive behaviors during times of high stress, such as individuals with high trait impulsivity and compulsivity. Despite the potential of such knowledge to inform early detection of risk, no study to date has examined the influence of trait impulsivity and compulsivity on addictive behaviors during COVID-19. Toward this aim, the current study examined the association between impulsive and compulsive traits and problematic addictive and compulsive behaviors during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Australia. Methods: Eight hundred seventy-eight adults completed a cross-sectional online survey during the first lockdown, between late May to June 2020. Participants completed scales for addictive and compulsive behaviors for the period prior to and during lockdown for problematic eating, pornography, internet use, gambling, drinking, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Negative binomial regressions examined the associations between impulsivity, compulsivity, and their interaction with problematic behaviors during lockdown, controlling for age, gender, sample, psychological distress, exposure to COVID-related stressors, and pre-COVID problems. Results: Greater trait compulsivity was associated with more problematic obsessive-compulsive behaviors (p < 0.001) and less problematic drinking (p = 0.038) during lockdown. Further, trait compulsivity interacted with trait impulsivity in relation to problematic eating behaviors (p = 0.014) such that greater trait compulsivity was associated with more problems among individuals with low impulsivity only (p = 0.030). Finally, psychological distress and/or exposure to COVID-related stressors were associated with greater problems across all addictive and compulsive behaviors, as was severity of pre-COVID problems. Discussion: Trait compulsivity was associated with addictive and compulsive behaviors in different ways. Further, the finding that stress-related variables (psychological distress and COVID-related stressors) were associated with greater problems across all lockdown behaviors supports the idea that stress may facilitate, or otherwise be associated with, problematic behaviors. These findings highlight the need for interventions that enhance resilience to stress, which in turn may reduce risk for addictive and compulsive disorders.