"Masked dissociation": the many faces of technology.

After briefly explaining the concepts of dissociation and repression and discussing the new interest that the concept of dissociation has acquired within the actual psychoanalytic panorama, the author explains the concept of a dissociative continuum and presents Peter Goldberg's theory on somatic dissociation. Starting from this model, she proposes an interpretation of the use of technology, and especially of the internet, as a dissociative modality that helps separate the mind from the body, one that allows the maintenance of personal security-a concept dear to Sullivan-through physical distance. The implications of this point of view are discussed.

The Role of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Problematic Instagram Use in the Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Body Disconnection: A Serial Mediation Model.

By combining authors who hypothesized that modern technology has greatly increased people's ability and people's possibility to distance themselves from their embodied awareness and those who have shown that communication through social media is more congenial to people with a tendency towards perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP), this study analyses the influence of self-concept clarity (SCC) in bodily dissociation (BD) and hypothesizes that people with a low SCC are more prone to BD and that PSP and problematic Instagram use (PIU) may play a serial mediating role in this relationship. Two hundred and 19 women (Mage = 31.8 ± 11.25) completed an online survey that included the Italian-validated versions of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, the Scale of Body Connection and the Bergen Facebook Scale modified for Instagram use. A Serial Mediation Model (Hayes's PROCESS Model 6) shows that both PSP and PIU significantly serially mediate the association between SCC and BD (ß = -.025 SE = .011, 95% CI = [-.0498, -.0070]) and that there is a mediating effect of PIU between SCC and BD (ß = -.04 SE = .020, 95% CI = [-.0865, -.0098]), but no mediating effect of PSP between SCC and BD was found (ß = -.052 SE = .031, 95% CI = [-.1184, +.0039]). A possible explanation is that people with low SCC try to avoid others noticing their imperfections because they fail to integrate it into their self-concept and tend to use Instagram in a problematic way because this tool allows them to largely control the information they share. This use, in turn, alters their state of mind-body connection and this increases the disconnection from one's bodily sensations. The absence of mediation by the PSP between SCC and BD and the presence of PIU mediation between SCC and BD underlines the importance of technology in this relationship. The implications and limitations of this study will be discussed.

Stigmatizing attitudes toward Internet gaming disorder, Problematic smartphone use and Problematic social networking site use: An experimental vignette study.

Public stigma on substance and gambling disorders have been well documented. Negative effects of stigma include shame, embarrassment, fear being judged and the determent of help-seeking behaviors among stigmatized individuals. Less is known about the public perception toward Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and other widespread problematic behaviors that share some characteristics with established behavioral addictions, such as Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and Problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU). The purpose of this study is to compare the public perception of problematic Internet gamers, problematic smartphone users and problematic social networking sites users using an experimental within-group vignette study design. A sample of 280 adults (F = 72.1%; Mage = 32.84, SD = 13.85) was recruited and completed the study online. Participants were presented with male OR female vignettes (i.e. the gender of the target in the vignette was randomized) describing an individual with IGD, PSU, and PSNSU. A repeated-measures ANOVA followed by post hoc tests using Bonferroni's correction was used. IGD was seen as more serious, more noticeable, and less understandable than both PSU and PSNU. Moreover, participants' emotional reaction (e.g., anger and sadness) and desired social distance were significantly stronger toward IGD. However, vanity attributions were higher for individuals with PSNSU, which were also more blamed compared to both IGD and PSU. PSU was seen as more controllable than both IGD and PSNSU. The results, taken together, suggest that IGD is perceived as more inherently problematic, but PSNSU also seem to deserve scientific attention as individuals showing symptoms of PSNSU are blamed more than problematic Internet gamers. Our findings provide initial information that can be used when developing interventions to impact stigma toward technological addictions.

Investigating how internet gaming disorder and bodily dissociation experiences vary by game genres.

This study aims to investigate whether Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and bodily dissociation vary depending on the most frequently used game genre. Seven hundred and fifteen highly engaged online players (71.5% men; mean age 29.75 ± 7.48 years) recruited in player communities completed a survey that assessed game genre, bodily dissociative experiences and IGD. The results showed significantlly higher levels of IGD among multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) and massively multiplayer online role-playing games players relative to first-person shooters (FPS) game players, whilst MOBA players report significantly higher bodily dissociative experiences compared to MORPG and FPS. However, we found that differences on body dissociation disappear at high levels of IGD, with problematic players showing high body disconnection, regardless of the type of game most frequently used. This suggests that high engagement in online games has the potential to disconnect a player from his body, regardless of the type of game used.

Beyond internalizing and externalizing symptoms: The association between body disconnection and the symptoms of Internet gaming disorder.

As the vast majority of online videogames imply the immersion into an alternative reality where a virtual body is also involved, the current cross-sectional study aims to investigate the contribution of low body awareness (i.e. low attention to sensory cues indicating bodily state) and body dissociation (i.e. low emotional connection with one's own body) in predicting Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms, after controlling for internalizing (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and externalizing symptoms (i.e., aggression). A total of 370 online-game players (73% men; mean age 29.63 ± 7.64 years) recruited in online player communities took part in the study and were given a survey that included gaming characteristics, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale -21, the Aggression Questionnaire, the Body Disconnection Scale, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale- Short Form. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that low body awareness and high body dissociation predicted IGD scores after controlling for all the other factors. Moreover, we found an interaction effect between physical aggression and body dissociation in predicting IGD scores. On the one hand, these results provide support to previous studies that stressed the potential association between dissociative detachment (in terms of bodily disconnections) and problematic videogaming; on the other hand, the current study provides first evidence of the opportunity to focus on the integration of bodily experiences in clinical practice with people suffering from problematic gaming, as this factor might be incisively related to their aggressive and internalizing symptoms.

A systematic review of metacognitions in Internet Gaming Disorder and problematic Internet, smartphone and social networking sites use.

BACKGROUND: The use of new technologies is growing, and some authors have suggested that frequent use might hide a non-chemical addiction (i.e., technological addiction). Over the last 5 years, several studies investigating the role of metacognitions in technological addictions have been published. We aim to provide the first systematic review focused on this topic, by updating the initial evidence highlighted by a previous systematic review on metacognitions across addictive behaviours (Hamonniere & Varescon, 2018). METHODS: Electronic literature databases (Pubmed, PsychINFO, SCOPUS and Web of Science) were searched to identify studies that examined the relationship between metacognitions and four different technological addictions (Internet Gaming Disorder, IGD; problematic Internet use, PIU; problematic smartphone use, PSU; and problematic social networking sites use, PSNSU). RESULTS: We found 13 empirical studies published between 2018 and 2021. Positive low to moderate cross-sectional associations between the four technological addictions and both generic and specific metacognitions were found, in accordance with the metacognitive model of addictive behaviours. Positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, beliefs about the need to control thoughts and a lack of cognitive confidence were associated with IGD, PIU, PSU and PSNSU. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of longitudinal studies prevents us from providing definitive answers about the role of metacognitions in technological addictions. Despite this limitation, interventions that target metacognitions could be beneficial for people presenting with technological addictions.