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

Abstract

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.

Testing the Validity of a Cognitive Behavioral Model for Gambling Behavior

“…Cognitive behavioral theories postulate that gambling is a consequence of principles of operant (intermittent wins produce states of arousal), and classical (repeated pairings of arousal and the gambling environment) conditioning (Lehman and Salovey 1990;Hersen and Bellack 1999). Gambling is reinforced when negative emotional states are reduced by excitement of gambling (i.e., physiological arousal; Stewart et al 2008). As gambling becomes habitual, thinking errors regarding personal skill and probability of winning develops.…”

Personality Disorders and Dimensions in Pathological Gambling

“…Several seminal articles have examined the relationship between the constructs of gambling, personality disorders, and impulsivity (Bagby, Vachon, Bulmash, & Quilty, 2008;Forbush et al, 2008;Stewart, Zack, Collins, & Klein 2008;Vachon & Bagby, 2009). This study sought to further examine this relationship using a comprehensive battery of impulsiveness questionnaires in a sample of pathological gamblers.…”

Relations of Five-Factor Personality Domains to Gambling Motives in Emerging Adult Gamblers: A Longitudinal Study

“…Theory and research (Milosevic & Ledgerwood, 2010;Stewart, Zack, Collins, Klein, & Fragopoulos, 2008) both suggest a subset of problem gamblers suffer from heightened negative affect, and are then motivated to gamble as a means of relieving that negative affect. Other gamblers are predominantly approach-oriented, and gamble to heighten their positive emotions and arousal.…”