Attentional Biases and Their Association with Substance-Use-Related Problems and Addictive Behaviors: The Utility of a Gamified Value-Modulated Attentional Capture Task

Q1 Psychology Addictive Behaviors Reports Pub Date : 2024-02-13 DOI:10.1016/j.abrep.2024.100534

René Freichel , Erynn Christensen , Lana Mrkonja , Peter J. de Jong , Janna Cousijn , Ingmar Franken , Murat Yücel , Rico Lee , Ilya M. Veer , Lucy Albertella , Reinout W. Wiers

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Abstract

Background

Attentional biases towards reward stimuli have been implicated in substance use-related problems. The value-modulated attentional capture (VMAC) task assesses such reward-related biases. The VMAC task widely used in lab studies tends to be monotonous and susceptible to low effort. We therefore tested a gamified online version of the VMAC that aimed to increase participant engagement. Our goal was to examine how VMAC is associated with substance use-related problems and addictive behaviors, and whether this association is moderated by cognitive control.

Methods

We recruited 285 participants from an online community, including heavy alcohol users. All participants completed a novel gamified version of the VMAC task, measures of substance use and addictive behaviors (addictive-like eating behavior, problematic smartphone use), the WebExec measure of problems with executive functions, and the Stroop Adaptive Deadline Task (SDL) as a measure of cognitive control.

Results

The gamified VMAC task successfully identified value-modulated attentional capture effects towards high-reward stimuli. We found no significant associations between VMAC scores, problematic alcohol or cannabis use, addictive behaviors, or any moderation by a behavioral measure of cognitive control. Exploratory analyses revealed that self-reported cognitive problems were associated with more alcohol-, and cannabis-related problems, and addictive behaviors. Greater attentional capture (VMAC) was associated with more cannabis use-related problems among individuals with higher levels of self-reported cognitive problems.

Conclusions

Our study is one of the first to demonstrate the utility of the gamified version of the VMAC task in capturing attentional reward biases. Self-reported problems with cognitive functions represent a key dimension associated with substance use-related problems and addictive behaviors.

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注意偏差及其与药物使用相关问题和成瘾行为的关联：游戏化价值调节注意力捕捉任务的效用

背景对奖赏刺激的注意偏差与药物使用相关问题有关。价值调节注意捕捉（VMAC）任务可以评估这种与奖赏相关的偏差。在实验室研究中广泛使用的 VMAC 任务往往比较单调，而且容易造成精力不足。因此，我们测试了游戏化的在线版 VMAC，旨在提高参与者的参与度。我们的目标是研究 VMAC 与药物使用相关问题和成瘾行为之间的关联，以及这种关联是否会受到认知控制的调节。所有参与者都完成了新颖的游戏化 VMAC 任务、药物使用和成瘾行为测量（类似成瘾的饮食行为、有问题的智能手机使用）、WebExec 执行功能问题测量，以及作为认知控制测量的 Stroop 适应性死线任务（SDL）。我们没有发现 VMAC 分数与问题性酒精或大麻使用、成瘾行为或认知控制行为测量的任何调节之间存在明显关联。探索性分析表明，自我报告的认知问题与更多的酒精和大麻相关问题以及成瘾行为有关。在自我报告认知问题水平较高的人中，注意力捕捉（VMAC）更强与大麻使用相关问题更多有关。自我报告的认知功能问题是与药物使用相关问题和成瘾行为有关的一个关键维度。

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来源期刊

Addictive Behaviors Reports Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Addictive Behaviors Reports is an open-access and peer reviewed online-only journal offering an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of research in addictive behaviors. The journal accepts submissions that are scientifically sound on all forms of addictive behavior (alcohol, drugs, gambling, Internet, nicotine and technology) with a primary focus on behavioral and psychosocial research. The emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance. We are particularly interested in ''non-traditional'', innovative and empirically oriented research such as negative/null data papers, replication studies, case reports on novel treatments, and cross-cultural research. Studies that might encourage new lines of inquiry as well as scholarly commentaries on topical issues, systematic reviews, and mini reviews are also very much encouraged. We also welcome multimedia submissions that incorporate video or audio components to better display methodology or findings.