American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Practice Exam 2026 - Free ABPN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The disorder that is typically characterized by maladaptive cyber behavior is pathological gambling. This condition involves compulsive engagement with gambling activities, often to the point that it interferes with personal, social, and occupational functioning. Individuals with pathological gambling may utilize online platforms for gambling, leading to behaviors that can be classified as maladaptive cyber behavior. This includes excessive time spent online, neglect of responsibilities, and financial difficulties arising from internet gambling activities.

In the context of the other options, dissociative fugue involves a temporary loss of personal identity and memory, not necessarily linked to cyber behavior. Eating disorders can be influenced by online behaviors, such as body image comparisons, but they do not encompass the concept of maladaptive cyber behavior in the same way as pathological gambling. Social anxiety disorder is characterized by significant anxiety in social situations and does not inherently involve online maladaptive behaviors. Thus, pathological gambling is the most fitting choice related directly to maladaptive cyber behavior.