Measuring self-efficacy in gambling: the Gambling Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Self-efficacy is crucial in behavioral change, particularly for addictive behaviors like gambling.
• Assessing gambling refusal self-efficacy aids in understanding and treating problem gambling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Gambling Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GRSEQ).
• To assess the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the GRSEQ for diverse gambler populations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 26-item GRSEQ from an initial 31-item pool.
• Psychometric evaluation including factor analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), discriminant analysis, and correlational analyses.
• Administration to 297 gamblers from normal and clinical samples.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis revealed four factors explaining 84% of variance: gambling situations/thoughts, drug influence, positive/negative emotions.
• The GRSEQ demonstrated high internal consistency (0.92–0.98) and accurately classified problem vs. non-problem gamblers.
• Scores correlated negatively with gambling urge, cognitions, and negative mood states, and were sensitive to treatment changes.

Conclusions:

• The GRSEQ is a psychometrically sound and reliable measure of gambling refusal self-efficacy.
• The questionnaire is suitable for assessing gamblers across clinical and non-clinical populations.
• GRSEQ is a valuable tool for research and clinical practice in pathological gambling treatment.