Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
Published on: February 20, 2019
Multiple addictive behaviors in young adults: student norms for the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire
Vance V MacLaren1, Lisa A Best
1University of New Brunswick, Canada.
Abstract:
The Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire (SPQ; Christo, Jones, Haylett, Stephenson, Lefever & Lefever, 2003) is a multidimensional self report that measures 16 addictive behaviors. This study examined the psychometric properties of the SPQ and collected normative data from 948 students at two Canadian universities. Factor analysis confirmed the existence of two categories of addictive behavior, which Haylett and her colleagues (2004) labelled hedonistic and nurturant. The hedonistic categories included behaviors such as the use of prescription drugs, gambling, caffeine, illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco and compulsive sex. The nurturant group included behaviors such as compulsive helping, work, relationships, shopping, disordered eating and exercise. Men (N=250) scored higher than women on dominant relationships, exercise, gambling, illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sex. Women (N=698) scored higher on compulsive shopping, food binging and starving. These results suggest that the SPQ may be a useful index of multiple addictive behaviors in college-age people.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Drug Dependence
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring
