Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2014 May 27. doi: 10.1111/appy.12134.
Ko CH1, Wang PW, Liu TL, Yen CF, Chen CS, Yen JY.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Cognitive control plays a pivotal role in the mechanism of addictive behavior. The aim of the study was to evaluate the deficit in inhibition of proactive interference of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) using a directed forgetting task among young adults.
METHODS:
A total of 64 participants with IGD and 69 controls were recruited on a university campus. They completed the directed forgetting task for online gaming words and neutral words.
RESULTS:
The results demonstrated that the IGD group had a poorer performance on the directed forgetting task, and this represented a deficit in inhibition of proactive interference. They also had a higher tendency to remember online gaming words rather than neutral words in comparison with the control group. This demonstrated memory bias toward online gaming words.
DISCUSSION:
These results suggested that more attention should be paid to deficits in inhibition of proactive interference and memory bias toward gaming content when treating subjects with IGD. Furthermore, it is essential and practical to prevent exposure to online gaming-related cues when endeavoring to control online gaming behavior.
© 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
KEYWORDS:
Internet gaming disorder; directed forgetting; memory bias; proactive interference
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