Characteristics

• Griffiths (2005) :


  6 characteristics of addictive behaviours: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict & relapse.
• What is salience?


  When the activity becomes the most important thing in a person's life. Dominates thoughts, feelings & behaviour.
• What is mood modification?

  The behaviour causes a change in mood, e.g, a 'high'/buzz or numbness/escapism. May change at times e.g, nicotine for a boost in morning, but then relaxation in evening. Using addiction as way of self-medicating to cope with any problems they're experiencing.
• What is tolerance?


  As time goes on, they need more of the behaviour or drug to satisfy them & achieve same effects. Griffiths (1993) - regular gamblers' heart rates decreased faster than non-regular gamblers, implying they needed to restart gambling more quickly to achieve same level of arousal.
• What are withdrawal symptoms?


  If the behaviour is stopped, they will get withdrawal symptoms physically (e.g, insomnia & nausea) or psychologically (irritability & moodiness).
• What is conflict?


  Issues between themselves & friends/family (interpersonal conflict) by compromising their job or relationships at expense of engaging in behaviour. Conflict within themselves too (intrapsychic conflict)- may want to stop but may struggle to do so.
• What is relapse?


  Addicts have tendency to return to the behaviour if they give it up even after years of successful treatment. Commonly seen in chemical addictions e.g, smoking.
• What is DSM-V ?

  American manual used to define mental disorders.
• Lin et al (2012) :

  Brains of those who excessively use internet have same abnormalities seen in those with substance addiction.
• Griffiths (2012) :


  Important to make distinction between addictions on internet (e.g, gambling) & internet addiction in its own right. Very few internet addiction studies show that it fulfils all 6 criteria. Difficult to identify risks of excessive internet use.