Wired to be connected? Links between mobile technology engagement, intertemporal preference and frontostriatal white matter connectivity

Longitudinal and daily associations between adolescent self-control and digital technology use

There is fear that adolescents have limited control over their digital technology use. The current research examines longitudinal (Study 1) and daily (Study 2) associations between U.S. adolescents' self-control and digital technological impairment and use. Using a large sample (N = 2,104; Wave 1: Mage = 12.36, 52% female, 57% economically disadvantaged, 48% racial minority), Study 1 tested how changes in adolescents' self-control and perceived technological impairment co-occur across time (between-person associations) and if self-control and perceived impairment are prospectively and bidirectionally associated with each other (within-person associations). There was evidence of between-person associations, in that poorer self-control and perceived technological impairment both increase over adolescence, and these increases are positively associated with each other. However, there was no evidence of prospective within-person associations. Using a subsample from Study 1 (N = 388), Study 2 found support for a between-person association for self-control and using digital technology for entertainment, in which adolescents who reported poorer self-control relative to their peers also engaged in greater digital technology use for entertainment. There was no robust support for within-person associations. These findings suggest that adolescents with poorer self-control may have established tendencies to experience greater technological impairment and use more digital technology for entertainment, but the lack of within-person associations indicate caution is needed for a cause-and-effect relation. Adolescents with existing poorer self-control may be more vulnerable to problematic digital technology use in a developmental period where digital technology is particularly rewarding, and intervention and prevention efforts should be geared toward these adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Delay Discounting in Established and Proposed Behavioral Addictions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Steep delay discounting, or a greater preference for smaller-immediate rewards over larger-delayed rewards, is a common phenomenon across a range of substance use and psychiatric disorders. Non-substance behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling disorder, internet gaming disorder, food addiction) are of increasing interest in delay discounting research. Individual studies have reported steeper discounting in people exhibiting various behavioral addictions compared to controls or significant correlations between discounting and behavioral addiction scales; however, not all studies have found significant effects. To synthesize the published research in this area and identify priorities for future research, we conducted a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis (following PRISMA guidelines) of delay discounting studies across a range of behavioral addiction categories. The final sample included 78 studies, yielding 87 effect sizes for the meta-analysis. For studies with categorical designs, we found statistically significant, medium-to-large effect sizes for gambling disorder (Cohen’s d = 0.82) and IGD (d = 0.89), although the IGD effect size was disproportionately influenced by a single study (adjusted d = 0.53 after removal). Categorical internet/smartphone studies were non-significant (d = 0.16, p = 0.06). Aggregate correlations in dimensional studies were statistically significant, but generally small magnitude for gambling (r = 0.22), internet/smartphone (r = 0.13) and food addiction (r = 0.12). Heterogeneity statistics suggested substantial variability across studies, and publication bias indices indicated moderate impact of unpublished or small sample studies. These findings generally suggest that some behavioral addictions are associated with steeper discounting, with the most robust evidence for gambling disorder. Importantly, this review also highlighted several categories with notably smaller effect sizes or categories with too few studies to be included (e.g., compulsive buying, exercise addiction). Further research on delay discounting in behavioral addictions is warranted, particularly for categories with relatively few studies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of discrepancies between logged and self-reported digital media use

There is widespread public and academic interest in understanding the uses and effects of digital media. Scholars primarily use self-report measures of the quantity or duration of media use as proxies for more objective measures, but the validity of these self-reports remains unclear. Advancements in data collection techniques have produced a collection of studies indexing both self-reported and log-based measures. To assess the alignment between these measures, we conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis of this research. Based on 106 effect sizes, we found that self-reported media use correlates only moderately with logged measurements, that self-reports were rarely an accurate reflection of logged media use and that measures of problematic media use show an even weaker association with usage logs. These findings raise concerns about the validity of findings relying solely on self-reported measures of media use.

Social Cognition and Schizophrenia: Unresolved Issues and New Challenges in a Maturing Field of Research

Social cognition has become a topic of widespread interest in experimental and treatment research in schizophrenia over the past 15 years. This explosion of interest largely reflects the robust evidence that social cognition is among the strongest known correlates of poor community functioning throughout the course of schizophrenia. While progress has been impressive, we consider several fundamental questions about the scope, structure, and optimal measurement of social cognition that remain unanswered and point to the need for continued method development. We also consider more recently emerging questions about individual differences, ecological and cross-cultural validity, and intervention approaches, as well as broader technological changes that impact how we understand and use social cognition at a societal level. Continued efforts to creatively grapple with the complexities and challenges the field now faces hold great promise for helping us understand and more effectively treat a major source of functional disability in schizophrenia.