Focus: Addiction: Methodological and Conceptual Limitations in Exercise Addiction Research |
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| Authors: | Attila Szabo Mark D Griffiths Ricardo de La Vega Marcos Barbara Mervó Zsolt Demetrovics |
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| Institution: | aInstitute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary;bPsychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom;cDepartment of Physical Education, Sport & Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain;dInstitute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this brief analytical review is to highlight and disentangle research dilemmas in the field of exercise addiction. Research examining exercise addiction is primarily based on self-reports, obtained by questionnaires (incorporating psychometrically validated instruments), and interviews, which provide a range of risk scores rather than diagnosis. Survey methodology indicates that the prevalence of risk for exercise addiction is approximately 3 percent among the exercising population. Several studies have reported a substantially greater prevalence of risk for exercise addiction in elite athletes compared to those who exercise for leisure. However, elite athletes may assign a different interpretation to the assessment tools than leisure exercisers. The present paper examines the: 1) discrepancies in the classification of exercise addiction; 2) inconsistent reporting of exercise addiction prevalence; and 3) varied interpretation of exercise addiction diagnostic tools. It is concluded that there is the need for consistent terminology, to follow-up results derived from exercise addiction instruments with interviews, and to follow a theory-driven rationale in this area of research. |
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| Keywords: | athlete behavioral addiction commitment to exercise exerciser methodology |
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