The influence of cognitive factors on pathological gambling

Tindara Caprì, Angela Foti, Rosa Angela Fabio, Annamaria Pugliese, Gabriella Martino

Abstract


The purpose of this study wasto examine the role of cognitive factors, such as superstition, locus of control, decision-making and unrealistic optimism,on gambling.Eighty-six subjects participated in this study. They were divided into four groups: non-players, social players, problem gamblers, and pathological gamblers. Groups were formed on the basis of South Oaks Gambling Screen  Scale. Results showed that pathological gamblers group obtained a high superstition index. With reference to unrealistic optimism, gambler groupbelieved that they had a better chance of success compared to non-gamblers. They also showed a higher impulsivity index in decision making than non-gamblers. This study supports the idea that cognitive factors such as superstition, unrealistic optimism, impulsivity and external locus of control are involved in gambling.

Keywords


gambling; locus of control; decisionmaking; superstition and unrealistic optimism

Full Text:

PDF

References


Kassinove, J.I., 1998. Development of the gambling attitude scales: preliminary findings. J. Clin. Psycho,. 54 (6), 763-771.

Sarti, S. & Triventi, M. (2017). The role of social and cognitive factors in individual gambling: An empirical study on college students. Social Science Research, 62, 219-237.

Walker, M.B. (1992). The Psychology of Gambling. Pergamon Press, Oxford.

Lim, M. S. M., Bowden-Jones, H., Salinas, M., Price, J., Goodwin, G., Geddes, J., & Rogers, R. (2017). The experience of gambling problems in British professional footballers: A preliminary qualitative study. Addiction Research and Theory, 25(2), 129-138. DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2016.1212338.

Lavanco, G., Varveri, L. (2001). Il giocatore sociale. L’intervento di psicologia in comunità, In G. Lavanco, (Ed) psicologia del gioco d’azzardo. Prospettive psicodinamiche e sociali. McGraw-Hill, Milano.

Glicksohn, J., Zilberman, N., (2010). Gambling on individual differences in decision-making. Personality and Individual Differences 48, 557–562.

Joukhador J., Blaszczynski A., Maccallum F. (2004). Superstitious Beliefs in Gambling Among Problem and Non-Problem Gamblers: Preliminary Data. Journal of Gambling Studies, Vol. 20, No. 2, Summer 2004.

Ladouceur, R. (2005). Controlled Gambling for Pathological Gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, Vol. 21, No. 1, Spring 2005.

Ladoucer, R., Walker M. (1996). A cognitive perspective on gambling, in Salkovskis (Ed), Trends in cognitive and behavioural therapies, John Wiley & Sons, N. Y.

Henry, R. Lesieur, D., Sheila, B., & Blume, M. D. (1987). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): A New Instrument for the Identification of Pathological Gamblers populations. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1184-188.

Zakay, D. (1996). The relativity of unrealistic optimism. Acta Psycologica, 93, 121-131.

Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 97(5), 487-499. doi:DOI 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x

Toneatto, T. (1999). Cognitive psychopathology of problem gamblers. Substance Use & Misuse 43, 1593–1604.

Glicksohn, J.,& Zilberman, N. (2010). Gambling on individual differences in decision-making. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 557–562.

St-Pierre, R. A., & Derevensky, J. L. (2016). Youth gambling behavior: Novel approaches to prevention and intervention. Current Addiction Report, 3, 157-165.

Vergura D. T., Daveri, F. & Luceri, B. (2010). Il vissuto del gioco d’azzardo tra credenze ed atteggiamenti. University of Parma Ed.

Moshki, M., Ghofranipour, F., Hajizadeh, E. & Azadfallah, P. (2007). Validity and reliability of the multidimensional health locus of control scale for college students. BMC Public Health, 7:195.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.6092/1828-6550/APMB.105.2.2017.OS2

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2017 Tindara Caprì, Angela Foti, Rosa Angela Fabio, Annamaria Pugliese, Gabriella Martino

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.