Behavioural, motivational, and coping correlates of problem gambling risk in a sample of Canadian university students

Abstract

This study uses Ordinary Least Squares Multiple Regression to discover some of the factors that underlie problem gambling behaviours among emerging adults in Canada. The emerging adulthood transition period is wrought with new, and stressful experiences, which emerging adults may not yet have developed adaptive coping strategies to manage. This study uses General Strain Theory (Agnew, 1992; Greco & Curci, 2016), to uncover whether problem gambling behaviours are influenced by coping strategies and higher rates of perceived stress. This study also applies the Generality of Deviance (Mishra, Lalumiere & Williams, 2017), theory to understand if ‘risky behaviours’ co-occur in emerging adults. Emerging adults are given social leeway when engaging in risky behaviours, and such normalization of risk taking can heighten susceptibility to harmful behaviours and addiction. This study aims to better understand what motivations and behaviours in the lives of emerging adults can lead to problem gambling.