The scale
items each reflect common characteristics of addictive behaviors such as: preoccupation,
use for effect, protection of supply, using
more than intended, and increased capacity or tolerance.
For the purpose of this study, a total score was created by summing the items for
the following 7 subscales: caffeine, recreational drugs, sex, nicotine,
food binging, shopping/spending, and alcohol. Other subscales such
as “compulsive helping–dominant/submissive” and “relationship–
dominant/submissive” were deemed insufficiently related to conventional addiction disorders to be included in the aggregate score