Facebook is one of the most popular social network sites and communication platforms. However, besides many positive elements related to the use of this network site, in some cases it may lead to addiction. Therefore, the main aim of our study was to identify Facebook addiction predictors, in particular, to verify whether impulsivity, as a dimension of self-control, is an important predictor of this type of addiction. We also examined whether Facebook addiction predictors such as time spent using Facebook, use of Facebook smartphone apps, state orientation and female gender would be significant in our model of Facebook addiction. The 234 participants in the study were assessed using the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire, the Brief Self-Control Scale and the Action Control Scale. Impulsivity as a dimension of self-control, action control, amount of time spent on Facebook, Facebook app use and gender were found to be related to Facebook addiction. Specifically, a high level of impulsivity, more time spent using Facebook, female gender and Facebook smartphone app use are predictors of Facebook addiction. However, the relation between state orientation, restraint as a dimension of self-control and Facebook addiction was insignificant. Our results may indicate the role of impulsivity as a dimension of self-control in Facebook addiction. In addition, they may suggest that self-control should be taken into account not only as a one-dimensional but also as a multidimensional construct in Facebook addiction research. Our findings may also contribute to the better preparation of prevention and therapeutic programmes for people at risk of Facebook addiction.

There is a need to have reliable and accessible screening measures of mentalizing ability to investigate the role of this capacity in social functioning and its development, emergence of psychopathological conditions, as well as to understand its role in psychotherapeutic processes. The 8-itemed Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) has been developed for this purpose, however its factor structure and psychometric properties are unclear. The aim of the current study was to further investigate the factor structure of the RFQ-8 and explore its psychometric properties in a Polish sample. 538 participants aged 17–50 (M = 21.44, SD = 2.92) took part in the study. They were asked to complete the RFQ-8, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) questionnaire and the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI). Results of both exploratory and confirmatory analysis indicated that the RFQ-8 may be regarded as a scale measuring a unidimensional construct. Our results confirmed good construct validity for the unidimensional RFQ-8, suggesting that the one-dimensional RFQ specifically assesses uncertainty concerning mental states. Our findings highlight the need for further studies investigating the factor structure and psychometric properties of the RFQ-8.

The aim of our research was to investigate the predictors of Problematic Video Gaming (PVG) in emerging adulthood. From among the factors which were considered significant in previous studies, we decided to include the following in our research: empathy, self-esteem, self-efficacy and loneliness. Additionally, we wanted to examine which predictors have a direct or indirect effect on PVG in female and male emerging adult gamers group. Including a sample of 370 video game players (201 female gamers) aged 18–30 years (M = 21.66 years, SD = 2.83) participated in this study and were asked to complete self-report measures. The questionnaires included: Problem Videogame Playing Questionnaire, The Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale. Our results indicate that empathy dimension associated with personal distress, the time spent playing computer games per week is directly associated with PVG. Also, there were found full mediation between self-esteem, loneliness, self-efficacy and PVG via personal distress in emerging adult male gamers group. In emerging adult female gamers group personal distress fully mediated relation between self-esteem, self-efficacy and PVG. Our findings indicate that the time spent playing video games, as well as personal distress as a function of self-esteem, loneliness and self-efficacy, are predictors of problematic video gaming. Additionally, our results may lead to a better understanding of PVG among emerging adults. In particular, they may point to the importance of personal distress in relation to PVG during emerging adulthood, which is a developmental stage of many changes in social and professional life.

The present study analyzed the relationship between gaming disorder (GD), motives for gaming, and psychological problems in daily life (i.e., depression, loneliness, and self-control deficits) among Polish gamers. More specifically, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the indirect effects between GD and psychological problems in daily life via motives for gaming among male and female gamers. Additionally, the present study examined gender differences in motives for gaming and the relationship between the analyzed variables. The sample comprised 652 gamers (233 females; M = 28.77 years; SD = 7.18; age range: 18–48 years). The nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Version (IGDS9-SF) was used to assess GD. The motives for gaming were assessed using the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ). The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) was used to assess self-control. Loneliness was assessed using the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. In order to examine the relationship between the study variables, path analysis and indirect effects analysis were performed among both male and female gamers. The present study showed that depressive symptoms and self-control exerted a significant indirect effect on GD via escape and fantasy motives for gaming. Additionally, there was an indirect effect between depressive symptoms and GD via social motives for gaming. However, these indirect effects were found among male gamers only. The present study also showed gender differences in all analyzed gaming motives except escape (males scoring higher on all of them) and in the relationship between depressive symptoms and escape. These findings contribute to a better understanding of GD development mechanisms, which are associated with psychological problems in daily life.

A growing body of research has demonstrated that affect modulates cognitive control modes such as proactive and reactive control. Several studies have suggested that positive affect decreases proactive control compared to neutral affect. However, these studies only focused on the valence of affect and often omitted two of its components: arousal and approach motivation. Therefore, we designed the present study to test the hypothesis that cognitive control modes would differ as a function of arousal and approach motivated positive affect. In our study, we used an AX-continuous performance task (AX-CPT), commonly used to examine shifts in proactive and reactive control. We also measured P3b, contingent negative variation (CNV), N2 and P3a components of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) as indicators of the use of cognitive control modes. The findings of the present study demonstrated that approach motivated positive affect modified only the P3b and the CNV without effects on the N2 and P3a components. However, arousal induced by pictures modified P3b, CNV and N2 amplitudes. Specifically, the P3b amplitude was larger, and CNV amplitude was less negative in the high than in the low-approach motivated affect. In contrast, the P3b amplitude was larger and both the CNV and N2 amplitudes more negative in low- compared with high-arousal conditions. These ERP results suggest that approach motivated positive affect enhanced proactive control with no effect on reactive control. However, arousal influenced both proactive and reactive control. High arousal decreased proactive control and increased reactive control compared to low arousal. The present study provides novel insights into the relationship between affect, specifically, arousal and approach motivated positive affect and cognitive control modes. In addition, our results help to explain discrepancies found in previous research.