Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks
Internet addiction is an emerging issue, impacting people’s psychosocial functioning and well-being. However, the prevalence and the mechanisms underlying internet misuse are largely unknown. As with other behavioral addiction disorders, the increase and persistence of internet addiction may be favo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1179142/full |
| _version_ | 1827854656345210880 |
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| author | Loreta Cannito Loreta Cannito Irene Ceccato Eugenia Annunzi Alessandro Bortolotti Eleonora D’Intino Rocco Palumbo Claudio D’Addario Claudio D’Addario Alberto Di Domenico Riccardo Palumbo Riccardo Palumbo |
| author_facet | Loreta Cannito Loreta Cannito Irene Ceccato Eugenia Annunzi Alessandro Bortolotti Eleonora D’Intino Rocco Palumbo Claudio D’Addario Claudio D’Addario Alberto Di Domenico Riccardo Palumbo Riccardo Palumbo |
| author_sort | Loreta Cannito |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Internet addiction is an emerging issue, impacting people’s psychosocial functioning and well-being. However, the prevalence and the mechanisms underlying internet misuse are largely unknown. As with other behavioral addiction disorders, the increase and persistence of internet addiction may be favored by negative affect such as boredom. In this study, we examined the role of boredom susceptibility, as a personality trait, in predicting the risk of internet addiction. Furthermore, we analyzed the attentional mechanisms that may exacerbate dysfunctional internet behaviors. Specifically, we assessed the mediating role of attentional bias toward social media cues on the relation between boredom susceptibility and internet addiction. Sixty-nine young adults were administered a dot-probe task assessing internet-related attentional bias (AB) and questionnaires measuring internet addiction (IAT) and boredom susceptibility (BS-BSSS). Correlation and t-test analyses confirmed that the tendency to experience boredom and selective attention toward social network information was related to internet addiction. Furthermore, the mediation model indicated that AB fully explains the link between BS-BSSS and IAT. The study highlighted the crucial role of selective attentional processing behind internet addiction. The current results are useful for both researchers and clinicians as they suggest that intervention programs for internet addiction should include strategies to cope with dysfunctional cognitive processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:25:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1cbae824894044d984a7af40d902c723 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:25:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-1cbae824894044d984a7af40d902c7232023-09-01T08:23:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612023-09-011710.3389/fnhum.2023.11791421179142Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networksLoreta Cannito0Loreta Cannito1Irene Ceccato2Eugenia Annunzi3Alessandro Bortolotti4Eleonora D’Intino5Rocco Palumbo6Claudio D’Addario7Claudio D’Addario8Alberto Di Domenico9Riccardo Palumbo10Riccardo Palumbo11Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, Foggia, ItalyCenter for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyFaculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyCenter for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, ItalyInternet addiction is an emerging issue, impacting people’s psychosocial functioning and well-being. However, the prevalence and the mechanisms underlying internet misuse are largely unknown. As with other behavioral addiction disorders, the increase and persistence of internet addiction may be favored by negative affect such as boredom. In this study, we examined the role of boredom susceptibility, as a personality trait, in predicting the risk of internet addiction. Furthermore, we analyzed the attentional mechanisms that may exacerbate dysfunctional internet behaviors. Specifically, we assessed the mediating role of attentional bias toward social media cues on the relation between boredom susceptibility and internet addiction. Sixty-nine young adults were administered a dot-probe task assessing internet-related attentional bias (AB) and questionnaires measuring internet addiction (IAT) and boredom susceptibility (BS-BSSS). Correlation and t-test analyses confirmed that the tendency to experience boredom and selective attention toward social network information was related to internet addiction. Furthermore, the mediation model indicated that AB fully explains the link between BS-BSSS and IAT. The study highlighted the crucial role of selective attentional processing behind internet addiction. The current results are useful for both researchers and clinicians as they suggest that intervention programs for internet addiction should include strategies to cope with dysfunctional cognitive processes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1179142/fullinformation processingattention paradigmssocial networksproblematic internet useinternet addictiondot-probe task |
| spellingShingle | Loreta Cannito Loreta Cannito Irene Ceccato Eugenia Annunzi Alessandro Bortolotti Eleonora D’Intino Rocco Palumbo Claudio D’Addario Claudio D’Addario Alberto Di Domenico Riccardo Palumbo Riccardo Palumbo Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience information processing attention paradigms social networks problematic internet use internet addiction dot-probe task |
| title | Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| title_full | Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| title_fullStr | Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| title_short | Bored with boredom? Trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| title_sort | bored with boredom trait boredom predicts internet addiction through the mediating role of attentional bias toward social networks |
| topic | information processing attention paradigms social networks problematic internet use internet addiction dot-probe task |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1179142/full |
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