Problem gambling: The impact of personality on gambling

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Date
2018
Authors
Graves, Chad
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Abstract
Gambling is a form of entertainment that for some individuals can lead to harmful physical, mental, and financial outcomes. The current study examined two research questions: 1) the effects of personality on gambling preferences and 2) whether personality mediates the relationship between gambling severity and electronic gambling machine (EGM) play. In Study 1, I used a gambling dataset from the Quinte Longitudinal Study to explore the influence of Torgersen's eight personality types on the gambling frequency and money spent of 1,315 gamblers on 8 different gambling activities. Torgersen’s personality types were created using combinations of high or low neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Results suggest that Torgersen's impulsive and insecure personality types presented with more severe gambling classifications. The impulsive and hedonist personality types demonstrated a preference for strategic gambling. Additionally, men were found to prefer strategic gambling, while women preferred non-strategic. In Study 2, I examined the effects of the personality on gambling severity and EGM play behaviours among 159 gamblers. EGM play was behaviourally measured in a laboratory using a simulated gaming program that recorded the participants’ choices. Contrary to my expectations, only neuroticism significantly mediated the relationship between gambling severity and EGM play. The results of both studies provide further evidence that problem gamblers are heterogeneous in nature and supports the notion of subtyping gamblers.
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Gambling, Personality
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