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- Title
Challenging the components model of addiction: an illustration through "addictive" use of social media.
- Authors
FOURNIER, LOÏS; SCHIMMENTI, ADRIANO; MUSETTI, ALESSANDRO; BOURSIER, VALENTINA; FLAYELLE, MAÈVA; CATALDO, ILARIA; STARČEVIĆ, VLADAN; BILLIEUX, JOËL
- Abstract
Background and aims: he components model of addiction posits that all addictions share six components, namely salience, tolerance, mood modification, relapse, withdrawal, and conflict. This highly influential model has resulted in the development of numerous psychometric instruments that measure addictive behaviors according to these criteria. However, recent research suggests that, particularly in the context of behavioral addictions, certain components constitute peripheral features that do not distinguish intensive but healthy behavior from pathological behavior. Using "addictive" use of social media as a representative example, we examined this perspective by testing whether these six components actually assess central features of addiction, or whether some of them constitute peripheral features that are not indicative of a disorder. Methods: Four independent samples totaling 4,256 participants from the general population completed a six-item psychometric instrument derived from the components model of addiction to assess social media "addiction" along with four psychometric instruments assessing psychopathological symptoms. Data were analyzed by performing structural equation modeling and network analyses. Results:We showed that the six components did not form a unitary construct and, crucially, that some components (i.e., salience, tolerance) were not associated with measures assessing psychopathological symptoms. Discussion and conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that psychometric instruments based on the components model conflate central and peripheral features of addiction when applied to behavioral addictions. This implies that such instruments pathologize common behaviors. Our findings call for reconsideration of the conceptualization and assessment of behavioral addictions beyond "addictive" social media use.
- Subjects
COMPULSIVE behavior; SOCIAL media; SOCIAL media addiction; ADDICTIONS; STRUCTURAL equation modeling
- Publication
Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2023, Vol 12, p183
- ISSN
2062-5871
- Publication type
Article