Gambling as an Addictive Behaviour: Impaired Control, Harm Minimisation, Treatment and Prevention (International Research Monographs in the Addictions)

Presenting the latest conclusions about the psychological processes leading to impaired self-control, this book challenges the current harm-prevention policy of "responsible gambling." The authors present the most recent and evolving research into gambling, demonstrating the psychological variables that govern the erosion or maintenance of self-control over gambling behavior. These studies provide an empirical basis for a model of impaired control of gambling. Impaired control, in its broadest sense, is considered to be the defining psychological construct of all the addictive behaviors and occupies a central position in conceptualizing the addictive aspects of gambling. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 11 Declaration......Page 13 Executive Summary......Page 15 Glossary......Page 17 Stimulation......Page 19 Dismay......Page 21 Reassurance......Page 23 References......Page 25 List of Tables......Page 27 List of Figures......Page 29 Contemporary Gambling Worldwide......Page 31 Historical Themes......Page 32 Definitions of Gambling......Page 37 Legalised Forms of Gambling and their Consumption......Page 38 Consumption of Gambling......Page 39 Excessive Gambling......Page 40 Pathological Gambling......Page 41 Measures of Excessive, Problem and Pathological Gambling......Page 43 Prevalence of Problem Gambling......Page 45 Risk Factors: Emerging Causal Themes......Page 46 Access and Continuous Forms......Page 47 Research Requirements......Page 50 Gambling as One of the Addictions......Page 52 Problem Gambling as the Dependent Variable......Page 55 Self-control as the Dependent Variable in Problem Gambling Research......Page 56 The Development of the Scale of Gambling Choices......Page 58 The Subjective Control Scale of Control Over Urges to Gamble......Page 62 A Qualitative Study of Self-control in Youth Gamblers......Page 64 No Speci.c Limits (N 3)......Page 65 Contingency Limits: Continually Revising or Setting Vague or Broad Limits (N 14)......Page 67 Reported Harmful Impacts and the Ability to Self-regulate......Page 68 The Relationship Between Impaired Control and Chasing......Page 69 Impaired Control and Different Forms of Gambling......Page 71 Progress in the Measurement and De.nition of Impaired Control of Gambling Behaviour......Page 73 Validity......Page 74 A Developmental Perspective on Impaired Control of Gambling......Page 76 Psychosocial Maturity, Self-Regulation and Reported Harmful Impacts of Gambling......Page 77 Gambling Involvement......Page 79 Level of Involvement in Gambling and Structural Characteristics......Page 81 Study I......Page 84 Study II......Page 86 The Nature of Reinforcement in Gambling......Page 90 Prior Mood and Emotion while Gambling......Page 92 Personality......Page 97 Alcohol......Page 98 Rates of Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Clinical Samples of Problem Gamblers......Page 99 Non-Clinical Samples with Problem Drinking/Problem Gambling Co-morbidity......Page 100 The Role of Cognitive Variables......Page 104 The Role of Coping......Page 110 A Conceptual Basis for Modelling Impaired Self-Control of Gambling......Page 111 Empirical Model of EGM Play......Page 113 Main Study (O’Connor et al., 2005)......Page 115 Participants......Page 117 Descriptive Results for Main Variables......Page 118 Summary of Regression Analyses......Page 119 Critical Comment on Methodology......Page 120 Discussion of Empirical Findings......Page 121 Theoretical Speculations......Page 122 Modelling Impaired Self-Control: A Model of Gambling Temptation–Restraint......Page 123 Measure: The Gambling Temptation and Restraint Inventory......Page 124 Sample Characteristics......Page 125 Discussion of the Two Approaches to Exploring Impaired Self-Control......Page 128 Do Existing Treatments Work? Conclusions from Treatment Literature Reviews......Page 130 The Bio-psychosocial Model as a Basis for Treatment......Page 131 Implications of the Model of Impaired Control for Treatment Methods......Page 133 Implications for Treatment Goals......Page 135 Harm Minimisation and Gambling......Page 137 Educational Strategies......Page 139 Preventing Problem Gamblers from Further Harm......Page 141 Rendering the Process of Gambling Safer for all Consumers......Page 142 Impaired Control of Regular Gamblers: A Social and Consumer Protection Issue......Page 148 The Introduction of Gaming Machines......Page 154 Problem Gambling Community Education Campaigns......Page 157 Direct Treatment Services......Page 159 Harm Minimisation......Page 163 Research......Page 165 Victoria: A Successful Public Health Approach or a Failure of Consumer Protection?......Page 166 Measurement......Page 168 Key Psychological Variables......Page 169 On the Nature of Impaired Self-control of Gambling......Page 170 Implications for Pathological Gambling......Page 175 Implications for Problem Gambling Policy......Page 177 Implications for Addiction......Page 178 References......Page 182 Index......Page 203 'If thinking about addiction is going to change, the study of excessive gambling is likely to be one of the richest sources of new ideas'(Jim Orford). In this book, the authors present research into gambling, showing the psychological variables that govern the erosion or maintenance of self-control over gambling behaviour. These studies provide an empirical basis for a model of impaired control of gambling. Impaired control, in its broadest sense, is considered to be the defining psychological construct of all the addictive behaviours and occupies a central position in conceptualising the addictive aspects of gambling. "In this book the authors present the most recent and evolving research into gambling, showing the psychological variables that govern the erosion or maintenance of self-control over gambling behaviour. These studies provide an empirical basis for a model of impaired control of gambling. Impaired control, in its broadest sense, is considered to be the defining psychological construct of all the addictive behaviours, and occupies a central position in conceptualising the addictive aspects of gambling."--Jacket Volumes in this series present important research from major centres around the world in the basic sciences, both biological and behavioural, that have a bearing on the addictions. They also address the clinical and public health applications of such research. The series will cover alcohol, illicit drugs, psychotropics and tobacco. It is an important resource for clinicians, researchers and policy-makers. 'If thinking about addiction is going to change, the study of excessive gambling is likely to be one of the richest sources of new ideas.' (Jim Orford) This book presents a research-based model of impaired control. Impaired control is considered to be the basis of all addictive behaviours, especially gambling