Effect of the mobile phone-related background on inhibitory control of problematic mobile phone use: An event-related potentials study. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Lingfeng; Zhang, Jingfu; Xie, Heping; Nie, Yufeng; Zhao, Qingbai; Zhou, Zongkui
• Is Part Of: Addictive behaviors. Volume 108(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Problematic mobile phone use -- Event-related potentials -- Go/NoGo task -- Cue-reactivity -- Inhibitory control; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; Nicotine addiction -- Periodicals; Smoking -- Periodicals; Gambling -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106363
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4603

Abstract

Highlights: There is no general deficient inhibitory control in problematic mobile phone users (PMPUs). Decreased inhibitory control among PMPUs appeared in the mobile phone-related background. Weaker P3 component at late stage of inhibitory control might function as the deficient stimuli-specific inhibitory control of PMPUs. Abstract: The present study aims to provide electrophysiological evidence for deficient inhibitory control in problematic mobile phone use and to investigate whether reduced inhibition is more pronounced during exposure to a mobile phone related background cue. A screen scale of smartphone addiction was completed by 227 college students, and finally an experimental group and a control group consisting of 20 problematic mobile phone users and 19 controls were included in the study. Event-related potentials were recorded during a backgrounded Go/NoGo task performed by those two groups, in which either a frequent Go signal (letter "M") or a rare NoGo signal (letter "W") was superimposed on three different background cues: neutral, mobile phone application-related and mobile phone using-related pictures. Results showed that problematic mobile phone users performed more commission errors than controls following mobile phone application background. Furthermore, problematic mobile phone users displayed a weaker NoGo P3 amplitude than controls on the mobile phone application background. The result might suggest that there is no general impairment of inhibitory control in problematic mobile phone use. The deficient inhibitory control on behavioral and psychophysiological level appeared merely in the mobile phone-related background. Such deficient stimuli-specific inhibitory control appears at the late stage of inhibitory control. Prevention programs should be designed to curtail exposure to the mobile phone-related stimulus and enhance cognitive control of potential problematic mobile phone users.