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Published on: February 20, 2019
The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes
Matthew M Young1, Michael J A Wohl
1Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. mmyoung@connect.carleton.ca
Summary
Researchers developed the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS) to measure urges to gamble. The GACS effectively predicts gambling severity and persistence in gambling behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Problem gambling is a significant issue with limited research on gambling-specific craving.
- A lack of validated multidimensional measures has hindered research into gambling craving.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS), a multidimensional measure of gambling-related craving.
- To assess the psychometric properties and predictive validity of the GACS.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Factor analysis of a 9-item scale in 220 participants to identify dimensions of craving.
- Study 2: Confirmed the factor structure of the GACS in a community sample of 145 gamblers.
- Study 3: Assessed the predictive validity of the GACS by examining persistence in virtual slot machine play in 46 participants.
Main Results:
- The GACS emerged with 3 factors: Anticipation, Desire, and Relief.
- GACS scores predicted problem gambling severity, depression, and affect.
- Higher GACS scores correlated with longer engagement in gambling despite losses.
Conclusions:
- The GACS is a reliable and valid multidimensional measure for assessing gambling craving.
- Gambling craving is a significant factor in the development and maintenance of problem gambling.
- The GACS can be a valuable tool for research and clinical assessment of problem gambling.
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