Researchers and clinicians have recently acknowledged the existence of behavioural addictions. Problematic internet use or internet addiction refers to a compulsive or addictive relationship with the internet. This study sought to examine how internet addiction is related to the mental processes underlying inhibition and decision making. The researchers recruited 23 university students. The participants filled out a measure of internet addiction. They had their brain activity measured while they completed a task that measured their ability to inhibit a voluntary response. They also completed a task that measured risky decision making. The researchers found that scoring higher on internet addiction corresponded to less risky decision-making. Scoring higher on internet addiction was also associated with attentional bias for gambling related stimuli.
