Dimensionality of Cognitions in Behavioral Addiction

Cognitive constructs provide conceptual frameworks for transpathological characterization and improved phenotyping of apparently disparate psychiatric groups. This dimensional approach can be applied to the examination of individuals with behavioural addictions, for example towards gambling, video-games, the internet, food and sex, allowing operationalization of core deficits. We use this approach to review constructs such as impulsivity, compulsivity and attention regulation, which may be most relevant, applicable and successful for the understanding and subsequent treatment of the addictions.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40473-016-0068-