The Role of Brain-Behavioral Systems in Internet Addiction: With Regard to Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

There were many conflicts about involvement of Internet addiction in fifth version of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM-V). As personality characteristics are one of the risk factors of risky behaviors¡ this study have investigated the role of neurobehavioral factors of personality in Internet addiction.
This study is a correlational study. For this procedure¡ among all students of Kharazmi university of Tehran¡ 359 participants (196 male and 163 female) were selected through Multistage cluster sampling. They answered Jackson-5 scale and Young’s Internet addiction test. Data were analyzed by stepwise regression method by SPSS.22.
Findings: Analyzing data showed that Freeze and Fight of Fight/Flight/Freeze system could predict Internet addiction (PDiscussion & From all brainbehavioral systems¡ only fear and sensitivity to threatening stimuli affects Internet addiction. This imply that Internet addiction is somehow different from other risky behaviors; therefore¡ to prevent and treat Internet addiction¡ sensitivity to punishment and fear should be considered more important than sensitivity to reward.