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A behavioral approach to understanding and treating pathological gambling
1University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Farmington, CT 06030-3944, USA.
Seminars in Clinical Neuropsychiatry
|July 12, 2001
Summary
This study explores gambling behavior through behavioral principles, explaining how reinforcement schedules and costs influence it. It then details behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments for pathological gambling.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Gambling disorder is a complex behavior influenced by reinforcement principles.
- Understanding behavioral mechanisms is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a behavioral account of gambling and its treatment.
- To describe the role of reinforcement schedules, response costs, and reinforcer magnitude in gambling behavior.
- To outline behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatment strategies for pathological gambling.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gambling behavior through the lens of operant conditioning principles.
- Description of how intermittent reinforcement, response cost, and reinforcer magnitude affect gambling.
- Explanation of the relationship between immediacy of reinforcement and behavior.
Main Results:
- Gambling behavior shares similarities with other behaviors maintained by intermittent reinforcement.
- Response costs and reinforcer magnitudes significantly impact gambling frequency and intensity.
- Immediacy of reinforcement plays a critical role in maintaining gambling behavior.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral principles offer a robust framework for understanding and treating pathological gambling.
- Cognitive-behavioral treatments, informed by behavioral science, are effective.
- A behavioral interpretation of 12-step programs provides insights into their efficacy.