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RP1: Comprehensive model-testing across different types of specific Internet-use disorders and other addictive behaviors
The I-PACE (Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution) model provides a theoretical framework for specific Internet use disorders (IUDs) by addressing core mechanisms and possible interaction effects, and integrates several theories, concepts, and empirical findings from addiction research.
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RP2: Transfer from goal-directed behavior to stimulus-response habits and its modulation by acute stress in gaming disorder and buying-shopping disorder
The ability of conditioned stimuli to affect instrumental responding is a robust finding from animal as well as human research and is considered a key factor for the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. In Internet use disorders, Pavlovian conditioning processes are thought to intensify motivational responses, which can activate instrumental reward seeking.
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RP3: Appetitive extinction deficits and the risk of developing pornography-use disorder and gaming disorder
Appetitive conditioning and extinction processes are considered to be important components for the development, maintenance, and recovery of addictive behaviors. During the development of an addiction, formerly neutral stimuli are associated with the drug intake or with the addictive behavior through Pavlovian conditioning. The learning and relearning of addiction-related associations can be studied by appetititve conditioning experiments which comprise a conditioning phase, an extinction learning phase and an extinction test phase.
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RP4: Cue reactivity in gaming disorder and pornography-use disorder: Behavioral and neural correlates and effects of acute stress
Cue reactivity and craving are core concepts in research on substance use disorders and addictive behaviors. Deficits in executive functions and decision making have also been considered as playing an important role in addictive behaviors. The association between acute stress and addictive behaviors may be moderated by executive functions.
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RP5: Effekts of acute stress on cue reactivity and implicit cognitive mechanisms in buying-shopping disorder and social-networks-use disorder
Cue reactivity and craving, or the strong desire to consume a substance, are considered to be underlying mechanisms in the development and maintenance of substance use disorders. Implicit cognitive mechanisms are described as further key components of an addictive behavior, including attentional bias for a substance and implicit associations with substance intake.
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RP7: Implicit associations and altered cue-associated impulse control in gaming disorder, gambling disorder, and alcohol-use disorder
Dual-process theories of addiction differentiate between explicit and implicit cognitions involved in addictive behaviors. They also distinguish between a controlled (reflective) and an automatic (impulsive) system and argue that controlled processing is associated with explicit cognitions, while automatic processing is linked to implicit cognitions.
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RP8: Implicit cognitions, use expectancies, and gratification in social-networks-use disorder and tobacco use disorder
Social networks like Facebook or Instagram are widely used. With the inclusion of gaming disorder in the ICD-11 as a disorder due to addictive behaviors, the problematic use of social networks is discussed as one further specific type of Internet use disorders.