An empirical analysis of the nine Internet Gaming Disorder criteria

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has received increased scientific attention since May 2013, and its assessment can be conducted using the nine criteria suggested by American Psychiatric Association (APA). This study examined the role of each IGD criterion using a conditional inference tree model. Methods: A total of 3,377 gamers (82.7% male, mean age 20 years, SD = 4.3 years) were recruited to the present study. In addition to collecting sociodemographic information, participants filled out the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) based on the DSM-5 criteria. Results: The conditional inference tree model revealed that endorsement of ‘withdrawal’ (criterion 2) and ‘loss of control’ (criterion 4) increased the likelihood of IGD by 77.77% (95%CI: 62.09–93.45) while endorsing ‘withdrawal’, ‘loss of control’ and ‘negative consequences’ (criterion 9) increased the likelihood of IGD by 26.66% (95%CI: 4.28–49.04). Finally, not endorsing ‘withdrawal’ but endorsing ‘preoccupation’ (criterion 1) increased the probability of IGD by 7.14% (95%CI: 1.63–12.65). Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that not all IGD criteria carry the same diagnostic weight as each criterion can play a different role in the development of IGD. It is envisaged that these findings will help improve the assessment of IGD in the future

Emulation as an Integrating Principle for Cognition

Emulations, defined as ongoing internal representations of potential actions and the futures those actions are expected to produce, play a critical role in directing human bodily activities. Studies of gross motor behavior, perception, allocation of attention, response to errors, interoception, and homeostatic activities, and higher cognitive reasoning suggest that the proper execution of all these functions relies on emulations. Further evidence supports the notion that reinforcement learning in humans is aimed at updating emulations, and that action selection occurs via the advancement of preferred emulations toward realization of their action and environmental prediction. Emulations are hypothesized to exist as distributed active networks of neurons in cortical and sub-cortical structures. This manuscript ties together previously unrelated theories of the role of prediction in different aspects of human information processing to create an integrated framework for cognition

Video gaming in a hyperconnected world: A cross-sectional study of heavy gaming, problematic gaming symptoms, and online socializing in adolescents

Aims Examining online social interactions along with patterns of video gaming behaviors and game addiction symptoms has the potential to enrich our understanding of disorders related to excessive video game play. Methods We performed latent class analysis in a sample of 9733 adolescents based on heavy use of games, social networking and instant messaging, and game addiction symptoms. We used latent class regression to determine associations between classes, psychosocial well-being and friendship quality. Results We identified two types of heavy gaming classes that differed in probability of online social interaction. Classes with more online social interaction reported fewer problematic gaming symptoms than those with less online social interaction. Most adolescents estimated to be in heavy gaming classes had more depressive symptoms than normative classes. Male non-social gamers had more social anxiety. Female social gamers had less social anxiety and loneliness, but lower self-esteem. Friendship quality attenuated depression in some male social gamers, but strengthened associations with loneliness in some male non-social gamers. Conclusions In adolescents, symptoms of video game addiction depend not only on video game play but also on concurrent levels of online communication, and those who are very socially active online report fewer symptoms of game addiction

The reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality in children: A new questionnaire

We report the development of a self-report questionnaire of the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) of personality for use with children. Focus groups were held with children to sample their experiences of situations modelled on components of three RST systems: fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS, related to fear), behavioural inhibition system (BIS, related to anxiety), and behavioural approach system (BAS, related to approach). The thematic responses formed the conceptual anchors to the development of test items that were examined using exploratory factor analysis in a sample of 288 9–13 year olds. After eliminating items that did not load on their designated factor, or substantially cross-loaded over factors, the original 48 items were reduced to 21 items: 7 items for each of the BIS, FFFS and BAS factors. The separation of the BIS and FFFS items across two factors is consistent with the revised model of RST. We offer this new questionnaire as a RST measure of fundamental motivation and emotion traits in children

Parking Space Estimation in the City of Portland

This project is a collaboration with Portland Bureau of Transportation, to study city required parking lots spaces, and allowed on-street parking space in Portland. As the city begins to re-evaluate its transportation systems to encourage more travel by buses, trains, and bikes, we want to explore what is the current parking situation by the city of Portland. To understand better about the parking situation in Portland, and how this might affect the parking policies in the future in Portland. The scope of this project is limited to East Portland. The group was assigned to the Far-Southeast (Far-SE) area. The Far-SE TSP is bounded by East Burnside Street on the north, the I-205 freeway on the west, and the city limits on the east and south. The TriMet MAX Blue line runs east-west along the northern boundary and the MAX Green line runs north-south on the west. Major topographic features include Powell and Kelly Buttes as well as Johnson Creek. The predominant land use is low-density, single-family residential on relatively large lots, although there has been a significant amount of infill development through subdivision of large lots. Commercial development stretches along the five main arterials running through the district (Division Street, Powell Boulevard, Foster Road, Stark Street, and 122nd Avenue) and is generally low density

Impacto da exposição académica no estado de saúde de estudantes universitários

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of academic life on health status of university students. METHODS: Longitudinal study including 154 undergraduate students from the Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, with at least two years of follow-up observations. Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were collected using questionnaires. Students' weight, height, blood pressure, serum glucose, serum lipids and serum homocysteine levels were measured. Regression analysis was performed using linear mixed-effect models, allowing for random effects at the participant level. RESULTS: A higher rate of dyslipidemia (44.0% vs. 28.6%), overweight (16.3% vs. 12.5%) and smoking (19.3% vs. 0.0%) was found among students exposed to the academic life when compared to freshmen. Physical inactivity was about 80%. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and physical activity levels were significantly associated with gender (p<0.001). Academic exposure was associated with increased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (about 1.12 times), and marginally with total cholesterol levels (p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: High education level does not seem to have a protective effect favoring a healthier lifestyle and being enrolled in health-related areas does not seem either to positively affect students' behaviors. Increased risk factors for non-transmissible diseases in university students raise concerns about their well-being. These results should support the implementation of health promotion and prevention programs at universities.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência da vida académica na saúde de estudantes universitários. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal envolvendo 154 estudantes de graduação da Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal, por pelo menos dois anos de acompanhamento. Características sociodemográfi cas e comportamentais foram recordados, por meio de questionários. Foram medidos peso, altura,pressão arterial, glicemia, perfil lipídico e os níveis séricos de homocisteína dos alunos. Foi realizada análise de regressão com modelos lineares mistos considerando as medidas repetidas de cada sujeito. RESULTADOS: Estudantes expostos à vida académica, quando comparados àqueles de ingresso recente à universidade apresentaram proporção mais elevada de dislipidemia (44,0% versus 28,6%), sobrepeso (16,3% versus 12,5%) e tabagismo (19,3% versus 0,0%). No geral, foi observada alta proporção de sedentarismo (cerca de 80%). O colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidade, triglicérides, pressão arterial sistólica e níveis de atividade física apresentaram associação signifi cativa com o género (p < 0,001). A exposição académica apresentou-se associada com o aumento dos níveis das lipoproteínas de baixa densidade (cerca de 1,12 vezes), e marginalmente com os níveis de colesterol total (p = 0,041). CONCLUSÕES: Nem o alto nível de instrução parece ter papel protetor na adoção de estilo de vida saudável, tampouco o envolvimento com áreas de saúde muda o comportamento dos estudantes. Altas proporções de fatores de risco para doenças não-transmissíveis em jovens universitários podem afetar seu bem-estar. Os resultados podem servir de apoio às universidades no desenvolvimento de programas de prevenção e promoção da saúde

Mind the gap: A review and recommendations for statistically evaluating Dual Systems models of adolescent risk behavior

According to Dual Systems models (Casey et al., 2008; Luna and Wright, 2016; Steinberg, 2008), a rapidly-developing socioemotional system and gradually-developing cognitive control system characterize adolescent brain development. The imbalance hypothesis forwarded by Dual Systems models posits that the magnitude of the imbalance between these two developing systems should predict the propensity for engaging in a variety of risk behaviors. The current integrative review argues that the excitement generated by the imbalance hypothesis and its implications for explaining adolescent risk behaviors has not been meet with equal efforts to rigorously test this hypothesis. The goal of the current review is to help guide the field to consider appropriate and rigorous methods of testing the imbalance hypothesis. First, we review the analytic approaches that have been used to test the imbalance hypothesis and outline statistical and conceptual limitations of these approaches. Next, we discuss the utility of two longitudinal analytic approaches (Latent Difference Scores and Growth Mixture Modeling) for testing the imbalance hypothesis. We utilize data from a large community adolescent sample to illustrate each approach and argue that Latent Difference Scores and Growth Mixture Modeling approaches enhance the specificity and precision with which the imbalance hypothesis is evaluated

Predicting growth curves of early childhood externalizing problems: Differential susceptibility of children with difficult temperament

Using an accelerated longitudinal design, the development of externalizing problems from age 2 to 5 years was investigated in relation to maternal psychopathology, maternal parenting, gender, child temperament, and the presence of siblings. The sample consisted of 150 children selected at age 2-3 years for having high levels of externalizing problems. Parenting was measured using observational methods, and maternal reports were used for the other variables. Overall, mean levels of externalizing problems decreased over time, and higher initial levels (intercept) were related to a stronger decrease (negative slope) in externalizing problems. Results showed that higher levels of maternal psychopathology were related to less decrease in early childhood externalizing problems. Parental sensitive behavior predicted a stronger decrease in externalizing problems, but only for children with difficult temperaments. A stronger decrease of externalizing problems in children with older siblings also pertained only to children with difficult temperaments. Thus, temperamentally difficult children appear to be more susceptible to environmental influences on the development of externalizing behaviors. Our results indicate that the role of siblings in early childhood externalizing problems deserves more research attention, and that intervention efforts need to take into account temperamental differences in children's susceptibility to environmental influences. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

School-based prevention for adolescent Internet addiction: prevention is the key. A systematic literature review

Adolescents’ media use represents a normative need for information, communication, recreation and functionality, yet problematic Internet use has increased. Given the arguably alarming prevalence rates worldwide and the increasingly problematic use of gaming and social media, the need for an integration of prevention efforts appears to be timely. The aim of this systematic literature review is (i) to identify school-based prevention programmes or protocols for Internet Addiction targeting adolescents within the school context and to examine the programmes’ effectiveness, and (ii) to highlight strengths, limitations, and best practices to inform the design of new initiatives, by capitalizing on these studies’ recommendations. The findings of the reviewed studies to date presented mixed outcomes and are in need of further empirical evidence. The current review identified the following needs to be addressed in future designs to: (i) define the clinical status of Internet Addiction more precisely, (ii) use more current psychometrically robust assessment tools for the measurement of effectiveness (based on the most recent empirical developments), (iii) reconsider the main outcome of Internet time reduction as it appears to be problematic, (iv) build methodologically sound evidence-based prevention programmes, (v) focus on skill enhancement and the use of protective and harm-reducing factors, and (vi) include IA as one of the risk behaviours in multi-risk behaviour interventions. These appear to be crucial factors in addressing future research designs and the formulation of new prevention initiatives. Validated findings could then inform promising strategies for IA and gaming prevention in public policy and education