Females' Coping Styles and Control Over Poker Machine Gambling

Abstract

An investigation of the relationship between impaired control over gambling, coping strategies, and demographic variables was conducted by surveying female poker machine players (N = 163) in their gaming venues. Metropolitan (n = 14) and regional (n = 6) gaming venues in Victoria, Australia participated. Control over gambling was measured using the Impaired Control Over Gambling Scale (Baron & Dickerson, 1994). Coping strategies were measured using (Folkman et al., 1986) adaptation of the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (Vitaliano et al., 1985). MANOVA supported the hypothesis that the lower the control over gambling the greater the reliance on emotion-focused coping (blamed self, wishful thinking, avoidance) with F = 9.92, 13.35, 14.04 respectively, all significant at p <.001. MANOVA failed to supported the hypothesis that problem-focused strategies (problem focus, seek social support) would be significantly related to control over gambling with F =.82 and.21 respectively. Control over gambling was not related to age, employment, relationship status, education, or distress from significant life events, further supporting the relationship between control and coping strategies. Ways in which coping styles might be related to pathological gambling are discussed.

Does exposure and response prevention improve the results of group cognitive‐behavioural therapy for male slot machine pathological gamblers?

“…Our results confirm that PG is related to significant psychiatric comorbidity (Crockford & el-Guebaly, 1998;Dell'Osso, Allen, & Hollander, 2005). Several studies have observed that gambling is used to regulate negative emotional estates associated to life-events, dissatisfactions, and frustrations (Burge, Pietrzak, Molina, & Petry, 2004;Grant & Kim, 2002;Hand, 1998;Jiménez-Murcia et al, 2007;Potenza et al, 2001;Scannell, Quirk, Smith, Maddern, & Dickerson, 2000).…”

Conceptualizing gambling disorder with the process model of emotion regulation

“…In relation to the processes of cognitive changes for positive emotionality, we previously discussed evidence suggesting that PGs excessively employ reappraisal and positive refocusing to upregulate positive emotions ( Navas et al., 2016 , 2017 ). Finally, response-focused strategies in relation to positive emotions have been associated with GD as wishful thinking ( Jauregui, Onaindia, & Estévez, 2017 ; Scannell, Quirk, Smith, Maddern, & Dickerson, 2000 ) and emotional expression ( Jauregui et al., 2017 ). Furthermore, interesting results came from the multidimensional investigation of impulsivity among PGs.…”

A Critical Review of the Harm-Minimisation Tools Available for Electronic Gambling

“…Failure to stick to pre-set limits arguably reflects a loss of, or impairment in, self-control and self-regulation, which can be undermined by a variety of factors (Parke et al 2014a , b ). Such factors include an inability to regulate emotion (Scanell et al 2000 ), and the use of emotion in the decision-making process over the use of problem-focused strategy (Blaszczynski et al 1990 ).…”