Testing the construct validity of Dixon and Johnson's (2007) Gambling Functional Assessment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The Gambling Functional Assessment (GFA) is a 20-item self-report measure designed to identify consequences that maintain gambling behavior.
• Previous research suggests four potential consequence categories, but empirical validation is ongoing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factor structure of the GFA using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.
• To determine if a two-factor model (Positive and Negative Reinforcement) provides a better fit for the GFA data.

Main Methods:

• Two large, nonclinical samples of university undergraduates were utilized.
• Exploratory factor analysis identified the optimal factor structure.
• Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling validated the factor loadings in a separate sample.

Main Results:

• The optimal model yielded two factors: Positive Reinforcement (linked to Sensory, Attention, Tangible scores) and Negative Reinforcement (linked to Escape scores).
• One GFA item did not load adequately on either factor.
• The confirmatory analysis showed a mix of adequate and suboptimal fit indicators for the two-factor model.

Conclusions:

• The two-factor model of the GFA demonstrates theoretical utility and potential for understanding gambling behavior maintenance.
• Further validation studies with clinical samples of gamblers are essential to confirm the GFA's psychometric properties.
• GFA Escape scores showed unique distributions, potentially indicating a key function in pathological gambling maintenance.