The impact of impulsivity and social anxiety on pathological gambling and technology addiction: A cross-sectional...

With the introduction of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and changing life conditions, behavioral addictions have gained more prominence in academia. Behavioral addictions exhibit common and unique features, both in comparison to non-behavioral addictions and among different types of behavioral addictions. Pathological gambling or gambling disorder is included in the DSM-5 and can be considered the prototype of behavioral addiction. Therefore, in this study we aim to highlight the similarities and differences between pathological gambling and technology addictions in the context of impulsivity and social anxiety.

In our study, 564 university students were included. Each student completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen, Technology Addiction Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and the short form of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.

The rate of pathological gambling was found to be 10.3% (n=58). According to the hierarchical regression analysis, impulsivity predicts both pathological gambling and technology addictions, while social anxiety predicts only technology addictions (including instant messaging addiction, online game addiction, and website addiction).

Behavioral addictions share characteristics with other behavioral addictions, as well as with non-behavioral addictions. However, there are unique factors in the development of each addiction that should be considered since identifying these factors can contribute to the development of personalized therapies. Therefore, there is a need for studies that focus on pathological gambling while comparing different behavioral addictions across various contexts. In this regard, the present study offers a modest example.