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"Computerized Solitaire 'Addiction': Fact Or Fiction?/Can excessive Solitaire playing be addictive?"

A new article in Psychology Today.

Before you read that, please take my survey:

Do you play solitaire on your computer or digital device?
 
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From the article (by Mark D. Griffiths):
[A]ddictions rely on constant rewards (what psychologists refer to as reinforcement) and each game of Solitaire can be played quickly and individuals can be quickly rewarded if they win (positive reinforcement) but when they lose, the feeling of disappointment or cognitive regret can be eliminated by playing again straight away (negative reinforcement – playing as a way to relieve a dysphoric mood state). I also stated that addictions typically result in a coping mechanism to other things in a person’s life. They use such behaviours as a way of escape and the repetitive playing of games can help in such circumstances....
Griffiths says you'd need to meet all of the following criteria to be considered addicted to Solitaire (and I'd be very surprised that even if you play Solitaire a weird amount of the time, you won't even meet the first criterion):

Salience ... Solitaire becomes the single most important activity in the person’s life and dominates their thinking (preoccupations and cognitive distortions), feelings (cravings) and behaviour (deterioration of socialised behaviour). For instance, even if the person is not actually playing Solitaire they will be constantly thinking about the next time that they will be...

Mood modification ... the subjective experiences that people report as a consequence of playing Solitaire... they experience an arousing ‘buzz’ or a ‘high’ or paradoxically a tranquilizing feel of ‘escape’ or ‘numbing’).

Tolerance – ... they gradually build up the amount of the time they spend playing Solitaire every day.

Withdrawal symptoms ... unpleasant feeling states and/or physical effects (e.g., the shakes, moodiness, irritability, etc.)... when the person is unable to play Solitaire....

Conflict ... the conflicts between the person and those around them (interpersonal conflict), conflicts with other activities (social life, hobbies, and interests) or from within the individual themselves (intra-psychic conflict and/or subjective feelings of loss of control) that are concerned with spending too much time playing Solitaire.

Relapse ... repeated reversions to earlier patterns of excessive Solitaire playing to recur and for even the most extreme patterns typical at the height of excessive Solitaire playing to be quickly restored after periods of control.
Do you have a Solitaire addiction?
 
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