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Psychologist explains why validation seeking is addictive and how to break the cycle

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

External validation can become an addictive habit due to a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule, similar to slot machines, where unpredictable rewards keep the brain seeking more. A 2023 study in JAMA Pediatrics linked habitual social media checking to reward-related brain development driven by this pattern of unpredictable social feedback. The most effective antidote is not self-validation, but a 'savoring habit,' which involves pausing to non-evaluatively attend to a positive experience before seeking external reactions. AI

RANK_REASON The item is an opinion piece by a psychologist discussing a behavioral psychology concept.

Read on Forbes — Innovation →

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Psychologist explains why validation seeking is addictive and how to break the cycle

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COVERAGE [1]

  1. Forbes — Innovation TIER_1 English(EN) · Mark Travers, Contributor ·

    The No. 1 Habit To Destroy Your Validation Addiction, By A Psychologist

    Approval-seeking isn't a confidence problem — it's a conditioning pattern. A psychologist explains the one habit that actually interrupts the loop.

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