Gambling-Related Cognitive Distortions Among Adolescents: A Gender-Based Analysis

Cognitive distortions represent one of the most extensively studied cognitive factors in relation to gambling behavior. This study examined gambling-related cognitive distortions across gambling severity levels, gambling modalities, and the type of gambling, while also exploring the mediating role of cognitive distortions in the relationship between gambling modality, gambling type, and gambling severity. All analyses were conducted separately for men and women to identify gender differences in the adolescent population. A total of 209 past-year gamblers enrolled in secondary school, aged between 14 and 18 years (Mage = 15.72; SD = 1.05; 69.1% boys) participated in the study. Gambling severity was assessed using the adolescent-adapted version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS-RA) and cognitive distortions were measured through the Gambling Belief Questionnaire (GBQ). Cognitive distortions increased with gambling severity (p = .003) and were higher among online gamblers (p = .003). Gender-stratified analyses indicated that women differed by gambling modality, with higher distortions in online gamblers (p = .009), whereas men differed by severity level, with greater distortions in those with problematic gambling (p = .003). Model indicated that cognitive distortions mediated the association between online gambling and severity, with total mediation in women (β = 0.651, p = .035) and partial mediation in men (β = 0.399, p = .028). These findings underscore the importance of incorporating gender-sensitive and context-specific components into adolescent gambling prevention and intervention programs.