Smartphone Addiction Associated with Impaired Decision-Making

The high scorers on notional smartphone addiction performed about the same as the controls on the Game of Dice task. Compared with the controls, the high scorers on smartphone addiction showed lower skin conductance responsiveness before disadvantageous choices, higher responsiveness after rewards (winning) and lower responsiveness after punishments. For their part, the researchers argue that not only does this study help to bolster the argument that SA is a genuine addiction (the “same disease with another face”), but that the findings also have some clinical implications: “preventative strategies can focus on the development of emotional regulation, awareness of bodily signs/symptoms and postponement of rewards.”

Source: digest.bps.org.uk