Permissive beliefs in the context of gaming, online shopping and alcohol drinking – Systematic development of a self-report measure

Abstract

Background: The activation of permissive beliefs is a cognitive mechanism through which individuals permit themselves to engage in pleasurable, yet potentially unregulated activities. Existing measures are heterogenous, focusing either on specific behaviors or on particular licensing mechanisms. The new Permissive Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ) seeks to integrate self-licensing mechanisms from various research domains and to be applicable to different behaviors. Methods: Study 1 aimed at exploring the factor structure and reduce the number of items. In study 2, we used confirmatory factor analysis and tested convergent and discriminant validity in three subsamples of individuals playing videogames (n = 489), shopping online (n = 506), and drinking alcohol (n = 511). We tested the hypothesis whether individuals who experience a self-regulatory conflict show a greater expression of permissive beliefs. Results: The final version of the PBQ consists of 12 items which represent two factors: Deserving Reward and Defensive Optimism. The PBQ exhibited robust model fit indices and internal consistencies in the three samples. Permissive beliefs were heightened among individuals intending to downregulate their gaming, shopping, or drinking behaviors as compared to individuals without this intention. Conclusion: The PBQ is a valid measure of permissive beliefs for gaming, online shopping, and drinking alcohol. It serves an ecologic and psychometrically valid tool to address empirical research questions regarding the functioning of permissive beliefs. Additionally, it may be used in clinical settings to measure and raise an understanding for permissive beliefs in clients.

Keywords

• self-licensing
• sabotaging thoughts
• justificational beliefs
• addictive behaviors