Affinity for gambling and impulsivity: Effects on participation and perseverance

• Main Author: Breen, Robert B
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2000
• Subjects: Behavioral psychology; Behaviorial sciences; Clinical psychology; Psychotherapy; Recreation
• ISBN: 9780599549135; 0599549130

This paper describes a series of experiments that attempted to create a valid laboratory model of gambling behavior. Specifically examined were factors that may influence the decision to begin gambling, and factors that may influence perseveration once gambling has started. Both the decision to begin gambling and perseveration once gambling probably contribute to a pattern of behavior known as “chasing”. “Chasing” is a ubiquitous problem in pathological gambling. The term refers to continued gambling despite the loss of money and severe social and personal consequences. Subjects were male college students who reported that they had some actual history of gambling. They were assessed on measures of gambling problems, attitudes and beliefs about gambling, and impulsivity and sensation-seeking. All subjects were paid ten dollars for their participation. They were given the choice of using the ten dollars to gamble with, and to possibly win more money, or they could choose to keep their money and not gamble. Subjects who decided to gamble could bet as many times as they wished, as long as they had money left. They could quit whenever they decided to do so. In Experiment 1, all those who chose to gamble were exposed to a pre-programmed sequence of wins and losses which allowed them to win money initially, but losing increased with perseveration. This was called the “declining” sequence. Subjects who persevered until they had lost all their available money were labeled “Chasers”, while those who quit with some money left were labeled “Non-Chasers”. In Experiment 2, half the subjects were exposed to the same sequence from Experiment 1, and half to a “50-50”, or “chance” sequence. It was found that a measure of attitudes and beliefs about gambling reliably predicted the decision to gamble in both experiments. While a measure of impulsivity predicted chasing in Experiment 1, this finding did not replicate in Experiment 2, nor was there any sequence effect. It is thought that the elimination of certain “delaying” cues in Experiment 2 affected the results. The results are discussed in terms of practical clinical applications, and suggestions are made for improvement in the method.