From non-problematic smartphone use to smartphone addiction: Impulsivity-based profiles.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is characterized by uncontrollable usage despite negative consequences, often viewed as a behavioral addiction.
• Impulsivity, a key factor in behavioral addictions, is multidimensional, with specific traits influencing different addictive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct profiles of problematic smartphone use (PSU) based on individual impulsivity personality traits.
• To differentiate between excessive smartphone use and addictive smartphone patterns by examining specific impulsivity traits.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 412 adults to assess daily smartphone usage, smartphone addiction levels (SAS-SV), and impulsivity profiles (UPPS-P).
• Employed cluster analysis to categorize participants based on their smartphone usage and impulsivity characteristics.

Main Results:

• Identified three distinct profiles: non-problematic users, excessive impulsive users with loss of control but low addiction, and highly impulsive users with addictive patterns.
• Negative urgency, positive urgency, and lack of premeditation were identified as key impulsivity traits driving addictive smartphone use.

Conclusions:

• Impulsivity personality traits significantly differentiate excessive from addictive smartphone use.
• Findings provide valuable insights for developing targeted prevention and intervention programs for problematic smartphone use.