Overview
This study investigated the cognitive mechanisms underlying inhibitory control deficits in problematic short-form video users (PSVU) using the drift-diffusion model (DDM), a computational approach to decompose behavioral performance into latent processing components. The research examined whether deficits stem from imbalances between goal-directed and habitual decision systems, incorporating both inhibitory control assessment and behavioral rigidity measurements.
Methods and approach
The study comprised 30 PSVU and 28 matched controls who completed two primary tasks: a go/no-go task to assess inhibitory control, and a contingency degradation task to evaluate habitual tendencies. DDM was applied to go/no-go performance to extract latent parameters including drift rate, boundary separation, and non-decision time. Habitual response patterns were quantified using ratio scores derived from performance across contingency degradation conditions, with specific focus on transitions between action-outcome congruence states.
Key Findings
PSVU demonstrated significantly higher false-alarm rates and lower boundary separation values during the go/no-go task relative to controls, indicating more impulsive decision-making. No significant between-group differences emerged for drift rate or non-decision time parameters. During the contingency degradation task, PSVU exhibited elevated ratio scores during action-outcome congruence transitions, reflecting reduced sensitivity to task-setting changes. A positive correlation was identified between boundary separation deficits and habitual ratio scores, linking decision impulsivity with behavioral rigidity.
Implications
The findings indicate that inhibitory control deficits in PSVU primarily reflect impulsive decision-making patterns rather than fundamental abnormalities in information accumulation or response bias mechanisms. The association between lower boundary separation and insensitivity to changing contingencies suggests that PSVU demonstrate reduced integration of contextual information during decision processes, supporting a dual-system imbalance hypothesis wherein habitual responding dominates goal-directed control. These mechanistic insights delineate specific cognitive targets for intervention design in behavioral addiction treatment, particularly approaches addressing decision-making impulsivity and sensitivity to environmental contingency shifts rather than general information processing deficits.
Disclosure
- Research title: Inhibitory control deficits in problematic short-form video users: evidence from drift diffusion model
- Authors: Tianxiang Jiang, Tian Xie, Jiahui Li, Yixuan Cao, Simei Ou, Jiayi Zhao, Ning Ma
- Publication date: 2026-02-25
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04233-x
- OpenAlex record: View
- Image credit: Photo by ClickerHappy on Pexels (Source • License)
- Disclosure: This post was generated by Claude (Anthropic). The original authors did not write or review this post.