About the Project
Background and context:
Substance-related and behavioural addictions purportedly share several underlying risk factors and psychopathogenic mechanisms (Griffiths, 2010; Shaffer et al., 2004). Previous research has suggested that “addiction hopping” is a common occurrence in individuals with an addiction who have abstained from a specific substance-related addiction, and then move on to develop another substance-related addiction (Shaffer et al., 2014). However, this phenomenon has not yet been empirically investigated across substance-related and behavioural addictions. Moreover, from a clinical perspective, addictions do not occur in a vacuum and are comorbid with other addictions as well as different psychopathology (Kuss & Griffiths, 2015), suggesting complex interactions between the two.
Previous literature suggests that substance use has a negative impact on a range of neurocognitive functions, such as executive functioning (Hadjiefthyvoulou et al., 2013; Montgomery et al., 2005; Murphy et al., 2009 for a review) and different aspects of memory, such as prospective memory (Hadjiefthyvoulou et al., 2010a,b) and everyday memory (Hadjiefthyvoulou et al., 2010b), as well as psychological wellbeing (Morgan et al., 2012). Research also suggests that using the Internet and online gaming can lead to structural and functional brain changes (Kuss & Griffiths, 2012), and has been found to have negative impacts on psychological wellbeing (Kuss et al., 2014).
Research aims:
The aim of the proposed project is to investigate the impact of behavioural addictions (e.g. Internet and/or gaming addiction)and substance use on neurocognitive functions and psychological well-being. A series of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies will provide novel knowledge about the overlap between substance-related and behavioural addictions with regard to their implications for neurocognition and well-being.
Research design and planning:
This project will benefit from using a range of objective and triangulated measures, including validated psychometric assessments, behavioural measures, such as laboratory cognitive tasks, and advanced biological measures, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to i) empirically compare the impact of both substance-related and behavioural addictions on neurocognitive functioning and well-being, (ii) investigate the comorbid occurrence of both substance-related and behavioural addictions, and (iii) explore the extent to which addiction hopping occurs in young individuals in the UK.
The Department of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a large and thriving group that has grown significantly in recent years to be one of the largest in the UK. Psychology is a broad and exciting domain and the research interests of our 80+ academic staff reflect this diversity, with considerable expertise in all core areas of the discipline. Research within the Department is flourishing, with Psychology at NTU being one of the top risers in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. All of our applied research was rated as either world leading (73%) or internationally excellent (27%), together with a substantial proportion of our research outputs (60%). We house over 60 PGR students and offer extensive training (as part of our Doctoral School training events or bespoke events) and specialist training in relation to particular methods or analyses (e.g., structural equation modelling). All PhD students are invited to attend their respective Research Group meetings so that they are part of the research culture within the Department. During the current REF period, this support together with the strength of our postgraduate students has enabled PGRs to produce 103 papers (averaging 1.63 per PGR), present at well over 80 national/international conferences, win prestigious awards (e.g., Durand Jacobs Award for the best graduate student paper in addictive behaviours, PsyPAG Rising Researcher Award), and progress into research or academic roles either within the Department or externally.
Specific qualifications/subject areas required of the applicants for this project
Entrants must have a first/undergraduate Honours degree, with an Upper Second Class or a First Class grade, in [subjects]. Entrants with a Lower Second Class grade at first degree must also have a postgraduate Masters Degree at Merit. Experience of using the above methods is desirable.
This studentship competition is open to applicants who wish to study for a PhD on a full-time basis only. The studentship will pay UK/EU fees (currently set at £4,195 for 2017/18 and are revised annually) and provide a maintenance stipend linked to the RCUK rate (this is revised annually and is currently set at £14,553 for the academic year 2017/18) for up to three years. Applications from non-EU students are welcome, but a successful non-EU candidate would be responsible for paying the difference between non-EU and UK/EU fees. (Fees for 2017/18 are £12,900 for non-EU students and £4,195 for UK/EU students). The studentships will be expected to commence in October 2018.
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