Addiction - AllPsych

Do Different Addictions Have the Same Risk Factors?

Neil Petersen — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 17:00:52 +0000

From substance use to compulsive behaviors, addiction can take a variety of forms. Given that range of possible addictions, psychology researchers are still trying to figure out the extent to which different types of addictive behaviors share similar roots. A new study from researchers at Bar-Ilan University and UCLA provides some new data for exploring…

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Sadness and Smoking

Neil Petersen — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 17:00:46 +0000

The idea that drugs can be an escape from negative emotions is well known. A recently published study from researchers at Harvard University gives us some more evidence for that idea, but adds a new twist. As it turns out, the emotion of sadness in particular, rather than negative emotions in general, may have an…

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A 20-Minute Procedure Can Change People’s Everyday Risk Preferences

Neil Petersen — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:19:07 +0000

One of the interesting findings in recent psychology research is that relatively simple procedures can temporarily alter people’s brain activity and behaviors. A recent study demonstrated this in terms of people’s propensity for risky actions. The researchers who ran the study used a technique known as transcranial direct-current stimulation, or more conveniently tDCS. This involves…

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Desire Thinking Is Common to Different Types of Addiction

Neil Petersen — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 17:00:12 +0000

Whether it’s addiction to a substance or addiction to a behavior, different types of addiction share certain features. Generally, these involve a strong urge to engage in some type of rewarding behavior despite negative consequences. For psychologists, understanding what ties together different forms of addiction is a key to learning more about how addiction works.…

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What Do Internet Addiction and Smoking Have in Common?

Neil Petersen — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 02:30:31 +0000

No, that question isn’t the beginning of a bad joke. But it could be the beginning of a psychology study. In fact, a team of researchers in China recently did take it as the starting point for a study. In attempting to answer the question, they honed in on one factor that has previously been…

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Why Do Religious People Report Higher Rates of Porn Addiction?

Neil Petersen — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 23:53:18 +0000

Pornography addiction is a hot debate (no pun intended!) because it gets at two themes that tend to stir up a lot of moralistic opinions: sex and the growing role of technology in our daily lives. In the media, there has been a rise in the idea that people commonly become addicted to porn in…

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Social Ostracism Linked to Internet Addiction

Neil Petersen — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 23:28:21 +0000

To understand people’s online behavior, it’s worth looking at what’s happening in their offline lives. That’s one takeaway from a new study published in the journal Psychiatry Research showing a relationship between social ostracism and internet addiction. Previous research has suggested that social factors play into excessive internet usage. As the authors point out, studies…

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