Psychology Ph.D. Dissertations

Understanding Perceptions of Levels and Indicators of Addictiveness and Related Factors

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Psychology/Clinical

First Advisor

Joshua Grubbs (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Radhika Gajjala (Other)

Third Advisor

Abby Braden (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Howard Cromwell (Committee Member)

Abstract

Views about what defines addictiveness, what symptoms are attributable to such a state, and what objects may be addictive continue to change and be debated. However, only three prior quantitative studies have focused on the perceptions of what symptoms indicate addictiveness, all of which used diagnostic criteria and focused on a narrow range of objects. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to 1) understand what is meant when individuals refer to something as addictive, 2) understand whether the object being discussed changes the perceived meaning of addictiveness or the amount of distress expected, and 3) understand which factors may be correlates of the above perceptions. Results from a qualitative study (N = 1,123) suggested eight themes, and 18 subthemes, of potential indicators of addictiveness, which slightly resembled diagnostic criteria. These responses were translated into a Perceived Addictiveness measure to allow for better understanding of these perceptions. Using undergraduate (N = 155) and national (N = 500) samples, factor analyses showed a consistent three-factor structure for the 24 presented objects in terms of Levels of Addictiveness: Recognized Addictions, Technological objects, and Sexual objects. Correlation and MANCOVA analyses revealed variability regarding which Indicators of Addictiveness were perceived to suggest the addictiveness of objects and object categories, impacted by multiple demographics. Overall, these results show that the type of object considered affects which indicators suggest addictiveness, and religiousness and personal addiction experience often affect this relationship. As such, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers should be aware of biases related to perceptions of addictiveness in their work, be thoughtful about their use of this term, and take time to better understand the nuances in these perceptions.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS