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The gambling urge scale: development, confirmatory factor validation, and psychometric properties
1School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Summary
Researchers developed the Gambling Urge Questionnaire (GUS) to measure gambling urges in individuals. This validated 6-item scale reliably assesses gambling motivation in nonclinical populations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Gambling urges are complex motivational states linked to persistent gambling behavior.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of gambling urges.
- A reliable and valid instrument is needed for assessing gambling urges in nonclinical populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the 6-item Gambling Urge Questionnaire (GUS).
- To assess the psychometric properties of the GUS in a community-based sample.
- To provide a reliable tool for measuring gambling urges.
Main Methods:
- Development of the GUS based on the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire.
- Utilized a community-based sample of 968 participants.
- Employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for structural validation.
- Assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha and evaluated various forms of validity.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analysis supported a single-factor solution, explaining 55.18% of the variance.
- Confirmatory factor analysis validated the single-factor structure.
- The GUS demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of .81.
- The questionnaire exhibited good concurrent, predictive, and criterion-related validity.
Conclusions:
- The 6-item Gambling Urge Questionnaire (GUS) is a valid and reliable instrument.
- The GUS effectively measures gambling urges in nonclinical gamblers.
- This tool can aid in understanding and potentially intervening in gambling behavior.