Problem gambling, coping motivations, and positive expectancies: A longitudinal survey study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Gambling motives are crucial for understanding gambling problems.
• Beliefs and motivations may predict gambling behavior over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the relationship between gambling beliefs (positive expectations), coping motivations, and problem gambling over time.
• Investigate these relationships beyond trait neuroticism.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month longitudinal survey study of 812 adult internet users who gambled in the past year.
• A subset (n=373) completed a 6-month follow-up survey.
• Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Cross-sectional analyses showed strong links between coping motivations, positive expectancies, and problem gambling.
• Longitudinal analyses revealed that baseline coping motivations uniquely predicted future problem gambling, controlling for baseline gambling.
• Baseline neuroticism predicted future coping motivations, independent of baseline coping motivations.

Conclusions:

• Coping motivations for gambling are a significant predictor of future problem gambling.
• Neuroticism influences future coping motivations for gambling.
• These findings highlight the importance of assessing motivations in understanding and intervening in problem gambling.