Gambling Activities of Young Australians: Developing a Model of Behaviour

Abstract

As more gambling venues open in Australia, youth gambling as problem behaviour has been identified. The aim of this study was to assess youth gambling in a population with easy access to gambling, and to evaluate the adequacy of a model for predicting adolescent gambling frequency and problem gambling. The model comprised a combination of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), personality variables (venturesomeness, impulsiveness), and cognitive bias variables derived from Weinstein's (1980) propositions concerning unrealistic optimism about future life events. A sample of 1017 school- and university-based adolescents indicated relatively low frequencies of gambling and low scores on the problem gambling scale, with males scoring higher than females on both measures. The TRA was supported with about 30% of the variance of each of gambling behaviour and problem gambling accounted for by intentions, attitudes, and subjective norms. Personality factors added significantly to the prediction of gambling. The cognitive bias variables, although independently not statistically significant, further contributed to prediction.

Evaluation of a School-Based Gambling Prevention Program for Adolescents: Efficacy of Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour

“…With the exception of items to measure NAEs, all scales used for this study were selected on the basis of their use in prior research that examined the applicability of the TPB to adolescent and young adult gambling behaviour (i.e., Martin et al, 2010Martin et al, , 2011Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997;Wu & Tang, 2012), their appropriate use with adolescent populations, and their adequate psychometric properties (i.e., Fisher, 2000;Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997;. All measures used constitute primary outcome measures.…”

“…Gambling Attitudes Scale (Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997). This scale is a 12-item measure assessing respondents' attitudes toward gambling and its consequences.…”

“…Gambling Injunctive Norms Scale (Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997). This 12-item scale is used to assess perceived family and peer norms regarding gambling on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).…”

“…These studies also indicate that intentions to gamble mediate the relationships between gambling behaviours and the other TPB determinants. Research with younger youths has provided additional evidence for the utility of the TPB in explaining the frequency of gambling behaviour and perceived gambling problems (Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997;.…”

“…Although recent research has supported the utility of the TPB and NAEs in explaining the frequency of gambling behaviour and gambling problems (Martin et al, 2010(Martin et al, , 2011Moore & Ohtsuka, 1997;Wu & Tang, 2012), application of the TPB framework and its related construct of NAEs for the design or evaluation of adolescent gambling preventive interventions has not been achieved. Additionally, despite the growing trend of using narrative communication in intervention programs for adolescent high-risk behaviours, only two youth gambling prevention initiatives to date have incorporated narrative communication as a component for promoting changes in gambling-related beliefs and behaviours (Turner, Macdonald, Bartoshuk, & Zangeneh, 2008;Turner, Macdonald, & Somerset, 2008).…”