Sensation seeking (SS) is a motivational disposition that can drive the person to seek varied experiences, stimulation, and to avoid the rest through activities such as playing computer or video games. It was assumed that SS could play a significant role in Problematic Internet Use (PIU; Rahmani & Lavasani, 2011), but this relation is controversial. More recently, SS together with hyperactivity and inattention in ADHD disorder, was supposed as an autoregulatory attempt to create a stimulating environment in order to stabilize vigilance and avoid monotonous situations (Geissler et al., 2014). Since the literature shows a significant incidence of Internet Addiction in ADHD, the purpose of the study was to explore the association between SS and PIU in adults with ADHD symptoms. A total of 147 voluntary participants (54% male and 46% female, aged 18 to 60) completed: the Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the NISS for measuring SS, and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist. Results indicated that ADHD measures were positively correlated with IAT and NISS scores. Adults with ADHD symptoms, particularly men, reported significantly higher scores in IAT, with interference in many aspects of their life, but not on NISS measures. These findings partially support the role of SS as risk factor in PIU with a non-clinical sample, but also suggest further studies for comprehending the interactions between ADHD clinical characteristics and Internet dependence.

Problematic Internet Use and sensation seeking in adults with ADHD symptoms

BENEDETTO Loredana;INGRASSIA Massimo
2015-01-01

Abstract

Sensation seeking (SS) is a motivational disposition that can drive the person to seek varied experiences, stimulation, and to avoid the rest through activities such as playing computer or video games. It was assumed that SS could play a significant role in Problematic Internet Use (PIU; Rahmani & Lavasani, 2011), but this relation is controversial. More recently, SS together with hyperactivity and inattention in ADHD disorder, was supposed as an autoregulatory attempt to create a stimulating environment in order to stabilize vigilance and avoid monotonous situations (Geissler et al., 2014). Since the literature shows a significant incidence of Internet Addiction in ADHD, the purpose of the study was to explore the association between SS and PIU in adults with ADHD symptoms. A total of 147 voluntary participants (54% male and 46% female, aged 18 to 60) completed: the Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the NISS for measuring SS, and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist. Results indicated that ADHD measures were positively correlated with IAT and NISS scores. Adults with ADHD symptoms, particularly men, reported significantly higher scores in IAT, with interference in many aspects of their life, but not on NISS measures. These findings partially support the role of SS as risk factor in PIU with a non-clinical sample, but also suggest further studies for comprehending the interactions between ADHD clinical characteristics and Internet dependence.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/3121866
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