Biological Basis of Internet Addiction and Online-Videogame-Addiction

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Montag
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 228527697

Internet addiction describes the excessive use and thinking about the internet (e.g. multiplayer online gaming or social networks). There is still a controversial debate on the nature of internet addiction. Both the rising number of humans seeking for help and the inclusion of internet addiction in the appendix of the DSM-V reflects the importance of this topic. In order to characterize the nature of internet addiction more in detail, besides a classical research strategy using questionnaire data, also molecuar genetics and imaging of the brain are in the focus of the current project to grap the essence of internet addiction. Moreover, a twin study will be conducted to estimate the heritability of internet addiction.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Martin Reuter