Addictive behaviors refer to a type of clinical problem where individuals participate in repetitive and impulsive actions that result in detrimental effects. Recent findings in the literature have consistently supported that addictive behaviors are related to habit loop components. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the mediating role of impulsivity in the relationship between the habit loop and addictive behaviors formation among adolescents. To this end, 404 adolescents (age range 13 to 17) were recruited from Juvenile Detention Centers (JDC) in Tabriz, Iran Northwest. Participants completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task, the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire, and the Habit Loop scale. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed all habit loop subscales were significantly correlated with addictive behavior (r =.39 to r = .60, P<.01) and impulsivity (from r = .33 to r = .64), and in turn, impulsivity was significantly correlated with addictive behavior (r =.90, P<.01). Moreover, simple mediation analysis indicated a significant indirect effect of habit loop cue (β = .46), habit loop craving (β =.54), habit loop response (β = .28) and habit loop reward (β = .56) on addictive behavior through impulsivity, implying that impulsivity mediates the association between habit loop and addictive behavior. Findings suggest that impulsivity can be considered an important factor in the tendency to addictive behaviors. Thus, adopting appropriate therapeutic approaches to address impulsivity is needed.
