How to evaluate the relationship between problematic internet use and executive functions?

My pleasure!

I appreciate your response.

Evaluating the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and executive functions requires:
1. Neuropsychological testing: Administer standardized tasks (e.g., Stroop test for inhibition, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for flexibility) to PIU groups vs. controls, analyzing performance differences in attention, planning, or working memory, controlled for age/education.
2. Longitudinal/cross-sectional surveys: Use scales like the Internet Addiction Test and Executive Function Index to correlate self-reported PIU severity with objective executive function scores, exploring bidirectional links (e.g., do deficits precede PIU or vice versa).
3. Mediational/moderation analysis: Test if PIU impairs executive functions via mechanisms like reward hypersensitivity or attentional capture, using structural equation modeling to assess mediating roles of impulsivity or emotional dysregulation.