Department of Psychology.
Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas.
Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2022 Oct;30(5):725-739. doi: 10.1037/pha0000459. Epub 2021 Apr 29.
Research has demonstrated that repeated engagement in low-effort behaviors that are associated with immediate reward, such as Internet use, can result in a pathological reinforcement process in which the behavior is increasingly selected over other activities due, in part, to a low availability of alternative activities and to a strong preference for immediate rather than delayed rewards (delay discounting). However, this reinforcer pathology model has not been generalized to other Internet-related behaviors, such as online gaming or smartphone use. Given the widespread availability of these technologies, it is also important to examine whether reinforcer pathology of Internet-related behaviors is culturally universal or culture-specific. The current study examines relations between behavioral economic constructs (Internet demand, delay discounting, and alternative reinforcement) and Internet-related addictive behaviors (harmful Internet use, smartphone use, online gaming, and Internet sexual behavior) in a cross-sectional sample of college students (N = 1,406) from six different countries (Argentina, Australia, India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Using structural equation modeling, Internet demand was associated with harmful Internet use, smartphone use, and online gaming; delay discounting was associated with harmful smartphone use; and alternative reinforcement was associated with harmful Internet and smartphone use. The models were partially invariant across countries. However, mean levels of behavioral economic variables differed across countries, country-level gross domestic product, person-level income, and sex at birth. Results support behavioral economic theory and highlight the importance of considering both individual and country-level sociocultural contextual factors in models for understanding harmful engagement with Internet-related behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
研究表明，反复参与与即时奖励相关的低努力行为，例如互联网使用，可能导致病理性强化过程，其中由于替代活动的可用性低，以及对即时而非延迟奖励的强烈偏好，行为会越来越多地被选择而不是其他活动（延迟折扣）。然而，这种强化病理模型尚未推广到其他与互联网相关的行为，例如在线游戏或智能手机使用。鉴于这些技术的广泛可用性，检查与互联网相关的行为的强化病理是否具有文化普遍性或文化特异性也很重要。本研究在来自六个不同国家（阿根廷、澳大利亚、印度、马来西亚、英国和美国）的大学生（N=1406）的横断面样本中，检验了行为经济学构念（互联网需求、延迟折扣和替代强化）与互联网相关的成瘾行为（有害的互联网使用、智能手机使用、在线游戏和互联网性行为）之间的关系。使用结构方程建模，互联网需求与有害的互联网使用、智能手机使用和在线游戏相关；延迟折扣与有害的智能手机使用相关；替代强化与有害的互联网和智能手机使用相关。该模型在国家之间具有部分不变性。然而，行为经济学变量的平均水平因国家而异，包括国家层面的国内生产总值、个人层面的收入以及出生时的性别。研究结果支持行为经济学理论，并强调在理解与互联网相关的行为的有害参与时，既要考虑个体因素，也要考虑国家层面的社会文化背景因素。
