Gambling cognition and subjective well-being as mediators between perceived stress and problem gambling: A cross-cultural study on White and Chinese problem gamblers.

This study aimed to delineate various pathways whereby cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities triggered by stress would lead to disruptive gambling. A multiple mediation framework was proposed to specify that gambling cognition and subjective well-being would mediate the influence of perceived stress on problem gambling. The cross-cultural validity of the proposed framework was examined with 132 White gamblers in Australia and 154 Chinese gamblers in China. They completed psychological scales on perceived stress, gambling expectancy bias, gambling refusal efficacy, negative affect, life satisfaction, and problem gambling. Compared to Chinese gamblers, White gamblers reported higher levels of perceived stress, gambling expectancy bias, and problem gambling as well as more pervasive negative affect and lower levels of life satisfaction. Results showed that the proposed multiple mediation framework fit the data better than two alternative plausible models. Life satisfaction and gambling refusal efficacy were two consistent mediators across White and Chinese gamblers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gambling, gambling activities, and problem gambling.

This research examined similarities and differences between gambling activities, with a particular focus on differences in gambling frequency and rates of problem gambling. The data were from population-based surveys conducted in Canada between 2001 and 2005. Adult respondents completed various versions of the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI), including the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). A factor analysis of the frequency with which different gambling activities were played documented the existence of two clear underlying factors. One factor was comprised of Internet gambling and betting on sports and horse races, and the other factor was comprised of lotteries, raffles, slots/Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), and bingo. Factor one respondents were largely men; factor two respondents were more likely to be women and scored significantly lower on a measure of problem gambling. Additional analyses indicated that (1) frequency of play was significantly and positively related to problem gambling scores for all activities except raffles, (2) the relationship between problem gambling scores and frequency of play was particularly pronounced for slots/VLTs, (3) problem gambling scores were associated with playing a larger number of games, and (4) Internet and sports gambling had the highest conversion rates (proportion who have tried an activity who frequently play that activity). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The association of form of gambling with problem gambling among American youth.

A random telephone survey was conducted with 2,274 United States residents aged 14 to 21. Analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the specific gambling games played and the extent of problem gambling symptoms. The forms of gambling that were most associated with gambling problems were card games, casino gambling, “other” gambling on routine activities, and betting on games of skill such as basketball, pool, or golf. The form of gambling that made the largest contribution to gambling problems per 14 days of play was casino gambling. The hypothesis that rapid forms of gambling, such as slot machines, would be the most problematic forms of gambling was not upheld. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disordered gambling among university-based medical and dental patients: A focus on Internet gambling.

The authors evaluated gambling behaviors, including Internet gambling, among patients seeking free or reduced-cost dental or health care. Three hundred eighty-nine patients at university health clinics completed a questionnaire that included the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS; H. R. Lesieur & S. Blume, 1987). All respondents had gambled in their lifetimes, with 70% gambling in the past 2 months. On the basis of SOGS scores, 10.6% were problem gamblers, and 15.4% were pathological gamblers. The most common forms of gambling were lottery, slot machines, and scratch tickets. Internet gambling was reported by 8.1% of participants. Compared to non-Internet gamblers, Internet gamblers were more likely to be younger, non-Caucasian, and have higher SOGS scores. This study is among the first to evaluate the prevalence of Internet gambling and suggests that people who gamble on the Internet are likely to have a gambling problem. Results also illuminate the need to screen patients seeking health care services for gambling problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subtyping pathological gamblers based on impulsivity, depression, and anxiety.

This study examined putative subtypes of pathological gamblers (PGs) based on the Pathways model, and it also evaluated whether the subtypes would benefit differentially from treatment. Treatment-seeking PGs (N = 229) were categorized into Pathways subtypes based on scores from questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, and impulsivity. The Addiction Severity Index—Gambling assessed severity of gambling problems at baseline, posttreatment, and 12-month follow-up. Compared with behaviorally conditioned (BC) gamblers, emotionally vulnerable (EV) gamblers had higher psychiatric and gambling severity, and were more likely to have a parent with a psychiatric history. Antisocial impulsive (AI) gamblers also had elevated gambling and psychiatric severity relative to BC gamblers. They were more likely to have antisocial personality disorder and had the highest legal and family/social severity scores. They were also most likely to have a history of substance abuse treatment, history of inpatient psychiatric treatment, and a parent with a substance use or gambling problem. AI and EV gamblers experienced greater gambling severity throughout treatment than BC gamblers, but all three subtypes demonstrated similar patterns of treatment response. Thus, the three Pathways subtypes differ on some baseline characteristics, but subtyping did not predict treatment outcomes beyond a simple association with problem gambling severity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Combining major life events and recurrent hassles in the assessment of stress in Chinese adolescents: Preliminary evidence.

Major life events and hassles have been considered 2 distinct constructs in the measurement of stress. Research also shows that chronic events are more impactful than time-limited ones. This study reports a new approach to measuring stress in which major life events are combined with recurrent hassles to form a single index—the Adolescent Stress Index (ASI). High school students (N = 365) in Hong Kong responded twice at a 3-month interval to measures of major life events and hassles, the ASI, and measures of physical and depressive symptoms. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results showed that the ASI predicted symptoms concurrently and prospectively above and beyond the effects of existing measures of major life events and hassles. The ASI is a viable instrument for documenting the cumulative impact of major and minor events in the lives of adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of anticipatory stress on decision making in a gambling task.

Recent research has highlighted the fact that emotion that is intrinsic to a task benefits decision making. The authors tested the converse hypothesis, that unrelated emotion disrupts decision making. Participants played the Iowa Gambling Task, during which only experimental participants anticipated giving a public speech (A. Bechara, D. Tranel, & H. Damasio, 2000). Experimental participants who were anticipating the speech learned the contingencies of the choices more slowly, and there was a gender interaction later in the game, with stressed female participants having more explicit knowledge and more advantageous performance and stressed male participants having poorer explicit knowledge and less advantageous performance. Effects of anticipatory stress on decision making are complex and depend on both the nature of the task and the individual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergent validity of measures of cognitive distortions, impulsivity, and time perspective with pathological gambling.

The present study investigated the convergent validity of the Gamblers' Beliefs Questionnaire (GBQ; T. A. Steenbergh, A. W. Meyers, R. K. May, & J. P. Whelan, 2002), Gambling Passion Scale (GPS; F. Rousseau, R. J. Vallerand, C. F. Ratelle, G. Mageau, & P. J. Provencher, 2002), Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire (EIQ; S. B. G. Eysenck & H. J. Eysenck, 1978), and Stanford Time Perception Inventory (STPI; P. C. Zimbardo & J. N. Boyd, 1999) in reference to pathological gambling. The authors recruited 105 undergraduates representing categories of pathological gamblers, potential pathological gamblers, and nonpathological gamblers and administered the measures under neutral conditions. Both subscales of the GBQ and GPS and the Impulsivity subscale of the EIQ exhibited strong convergent validity, whereas the STPI showed weaker correspondence with symptoms of pathological gambling. Applications and limitations of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping strategies and collective efficacy as mediators between stress appraisal and quality of life among rescue workers.

Fire-fighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians routinely confront potentially traumatic events in the course of their jobs. The mediation role of coping strategies and collective efficacy in the relationship between stress appraisal and quality of life was examined (compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout) in a correlational study. Participants were 463 Italian rescue workers (fire fighters and different categories of emergency health care professionals). Participants filled out measures of stress appraisal, collective efficacy, coping strategies, and quality of life. The results showed that emotion and support coping, self-blame coping, and self-distraction mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion fatigue. Moreover, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and religious coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and burnout. Finally, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and problem-focused coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion satisfaction. Cognitive restructuring and denial did not mediate the relation between stress appraisal and any of the quality of life dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A cognitive behavioural therapy program for problem gambling, therapist manual.

Reviews the book, A cognitive behavioural therapy program for problem gambling, therapist manual by Namrata Raylu and Tian Po Oei (2010). This book provides a session by session protocol for outpatient treatment of problem gambling. The protocol was developed for an efficacy study comparing individual and group treatment but has been repackaged for a broader audience. In the research study, both the individual and group participants showed good outcomes in comparison with a waiting list control with no differences between individual and group formats. This work adds to the growing evidence base for cognitive–behavioural and motivational treatments for gambling disorders. The treatment program comprises 10 core and 3 elective sessions. As with many CBT protocols, the first two sessions focus on assessment and psychoeducation. The remaining eight core sessions cover cognitive and behavioural strategies, relaxation, imaginal exposure, problem-solving skills, management of negative emotions, and relapse prevention. The three elective sessions focus on helping clients with assertiveness and dealing with debt, and helping concerned significant others cope with the gambling problems. As is indicated in the Preface, this manual is written for professional health workers with some knowledge of CBT but limited knowledge of problem gambling. The aim of providing the relevant background in gambling disorders is accomplished effectively in two ways. First, the book provides a concise but comprehensive review of the research literature on the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of gambling disorders in the second chapter. Second, a connection is made to the background literature in providing the rationale for specific areas of focus, interventions, and topics for each session. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of the relationship between general life stress, racism-related stress, and psychological health among black men.

This study explored the relationship among general life stress, racism-related stress, and psychological health in a sample of 220 Black men. Participants completed a personal data form, the Perceived Stress Scale (S. Cohen, T. Kamarck, & R. Mermelstein, 1983), a modified version of the Schedule of Racist Events (H. Landrine & E. A. Klonoff, 1996), and the Mental Health Inventory (C. T. Veit & J. E. Ware, 1983). Results of hierarchical regressions indicated that when general stress was controlled, racism-related stress predicted an additional 4% of variance in psychological distress for working class men and an additional 7% for middle-upper class men. Racism-related stress also predicted an additional 5% of variance in psychological well-being for middle-upper class men; however, it was not predictive of psychological well-being for working class men. Implications for counseling practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Links between casino proximity and gambling participation, expenditure, and pathology.

Two studies investigated the relationship between casino proximity and gambling participation, expenditure, and pathology. In Study 1, 8,842 participants were categorized into 1 of 4 driving distances from their home to the nearest casino in the province of Quebec: 0-100 km, 100.01-200 km, 200.01-300 km, or 300.01-981 km. In Study 2, 5,158 participants, who lived within a 100-km driving distance from the Montreal casino, were classified into 1 of 5 equidistant, 20-km driving distances. A survey company interviewed participants regarding their gambling habits. Results indicated a positive link between casino proximity and gambling participation (at the provincial and Montreal levels) and expenditure (at the provincial level only) but no link with the current prevalence rate of probable pathological gambling or of problem gambling. In a setting in which many types of gambling activities are available, casino proximity in itself does not appear to explain the rate of gambling-related problems. It is necessary to continue prospective research on exposure and adaptation theories as potential explanations for the development of pathological gambling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subtyping pathological gamblers on the basis of affective motivations for gambling: Relations to gambling problems, drinking problems, and affective motivations for drinking.

Pathological gamblers who drink when gambling (n=158; 77% men; mean age=36.0 years) completed the Inventory of Gambling Situations (IGS) and gambling and drinking criterion measures. Principal components analysis on the IGS subscales revealed negative (e.g., Unpleasant Emotions) and positive (e.g., Pleasant Emotions) gambling situation factors. Subjecting IGS factor scores to cluster analysis revealed three clusters: (a) enhancement gamblers, with low negative and high positive factor scores; (b) coping gamblers, with very high negative and high positive factor scores; and (c) low emotion regulation gamblers, with low negative and positive factor scores (59%, 23%, and 18% of the sample, respectively). Clusters were validated with a direct measure of gambling motives. Additional validity analyses showed that coping gamblers scored higher than the other groups on a variety of different gambling activities, gambling problems, drinking frequency, drinking problems, and coping drinking motives, whereas low emotion regulation gamblers scored lower than the other groups on gambling frequency, gambling problems, drinking quantity, and enhancement drinking motives. The findings validate this empirical approach to subtyping gamblers and suggest consistency of motives across addictive behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trusting problem gamblers: Reliability and validity of self-reported gambling behavior.

The retest reliability and validity of self-reported gambling behavior were assessed in 2 samples of problem gamblers. Days gambled and money spent gambling over a 6-month timeframe were reliable over a 2- to 3-week retest period using the timeline follow-back interview procedure (N=35; intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] ranged from .61 to .98). Gamblers did, however, report significantly more gambling at the 2nd interview. Agreement with collaterals was fair to good overall (ICCs ranged from .46 to .65) with no clear pattern of either over- or underreporting by gamblers. Spouses did not show greater agreement with gamblers compared with nonspouses, and greater agreement was not found for collaterals who were more versus less confident in their reports. The results are generally supportive of the use of self-reported gambling in studies of problem gamblers, assessed face to face and by telephone, although suggestions for further research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Narcissism, sexual refusal, and aggression: Testing a narcissistic reactance model of sexual coercion.

Laboratory analog studies investigated the theory that narcissism and reactance contribute to causing rape. In Study 1, narcissism correlated positively with rape-supportive beliefs and negatively with empathy for rape victims. In Study 2, narcissists reported more enjoyment than other men of film depictions that presented consensual, affectionate activity followed by rape (but not in response to either affection or rape alone). In Study 3, narcissists were more punitive than other men toward a female confederate who refused to read a sexually arousing passage aloud to them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time-dependent gambling: Odds now, money later.

Four experiments investigated temporal changes in the influence of probability and payoffs on gambling. Using urn draws, the authors found in Experiment 1 that temporal distance increased the influence of payoffs and decreased the influence of probability on preferences. The authors found in Experiment 2 that in choosing among the more distant gambles, participants offered more reasons dealing with payoffs and fewer reasons dealing with probability. In Experiments 3 and 4, the authors extended the scope of these findings using a card game and a raffle. The results were interpreted in terms of a temporal construal process that highlights the desirability of outcomes in the distant future and the feasibility of attaining the outcomes in the near future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The reliability and validity of the family history method for assessing pathological gambling and gambling involvement.

The family history (FH) method, which involves the use of an informant to gather information about one or more family members, has been used in a number of previous gambling studies. However, no evaluation of the reliability and validity has been conducted on the use of the FH method for assessing pathological gambling (PG) and gambling involvement. The current study examined the test-retest and inter-rater reliability and the validity of the FH method for assessing PG and gambling involvement among a large community-based sample of adult twins (N = 4,764) reporting on their parents, co-twins, and spouses. The test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities of the FH reports of PG were high. Validity of the FH reports of PG was low, primarily because of substantial underestimation of pathology (low sensitivity). The test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities of the FH reports of gambling involvement (ever gambled, ever gambled monthly, and ever gambled weekly) were moderate and the sensitivities were quite high. The results of this study support the use of the FH method for studies of PG and gambling involvement. A number of potential explanations for the low sensitivity of FH reports of PG are elaborated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acculturative stress, perfectionism, years in the United States, and depression among Chinese international students.

The present study examined whether maladaptive perfectionism (i.e., discrepancy between expectations and performance) and length of time in the United States moderated the association between acculturative stress and depression. Data were collected through online surveys from 189 Chinese international students from China and Taiwan attending a midwestern university. Results from a hierarchical regression showed that there were significant main effects of acculturative stress and maladaptive perfectionism on depression, no significant two-way interactions, and a significant three-way interaction, indicating that acculturative stress, maladaptive perfectionism, and length of time in the United States interacted to predict depression. Low maladaptive perfectionism buffered the effect of acculturative stress on depression only for those who had been in the United States for a relatively longer period of time. Implications for counseling and future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing the relations between impulsivity-related traits, suicidality, and nonsuicidal self-injury: A test of the incremental validity of the UPPS model.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has received significant attention as a predictor of suicidal behavior (SB) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Despite significant promise, trait impulsivity has received less attention. Understanding the relations between impulsivity and SB and NSSI is confounded, unfortunately, by the heterogeneous nature of impulsivity. This study examined the relations among 4 personality pathways to impulsive behavior studied via the UPPS model of impulsivity and SB and NSSI in a residential sample of drug abusers (N = 76). In this study, we tested whether these 4 impulsivity-related traits (i.e., Negative Urgency, Sensation Seeking, Lack of Premeditation, and Lack of Perseverance) provide incremental validity in the statistical prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond BPD; they do. We also tested whether BPD symptoms provide incremental validity in the prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond these impulsivity-related traits; they do not. In addition to the main effects of Lack of Premeditation and Negative Urgency, we found evidence of a robust interaction between these 2 personality traits. The current results argue strongly for the consideration of these 2 impulsivity-related domains—alone and in interaction—when attempting to understand and predict SB and NSSI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A diathesis-stress model of posttraumatic stress disorder: Ecological, biological, and residual stress pathways.

The symptoms captured within the contemporary diagnostic definition of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been studied for more than 100 years. Yet, even with increasingly advanced discoveries regarding the etiology of PTSD, a comprehensive and up-to-date etiological model that incorporates both medical and psychological research has not been described and systematically studied. The diathesis-stress model proposed here consolidates existing medical and psychological research data on etiological factors associated with PTSD into 3 causal pathways: residual stress, ecological, and biological. In combination, these pathways illuminate how PTSD might develop and who might be at higher risk for developing the disorder. Research and treatment implications related to the diathesis-stress model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)