A longitudinal study mapping changes in narratives,
self-reports and implicit measures of gambling
behaviour
RED
BLACK
Richard Cutter, Psychology Department
r.cutter@northumbria.ac.uk
Principle Supervisor Dr Mark Moss
2nd Supervisor Prof. Kenny Coventry
3rd Supervisor Prof. Nick Heather
Background
Results
Recent views of addiction have incorporated a Dual Processing approach in
explaining addictive behaviour(Weirs & Stacy, 2007).
Gambling has recently been defined as the only behavioural addiction(APA, 2013, with a
current view of problem gambling lying on a continuum(Cox, Enns, & Michaud, 2004).
Recommendations following the British Gambling Prevalence Survey , were to
engage in longitudinal research, employing multiple measures(LaPlante, Nelson, LaBrie, & Shaffer, 2011) .
The current research follows a dual processing approach examining mixed
methods of measurement as predictors of problem behaviour, following gamblers
movement in and out of problem levels of gambling, comparing measures in the
context of behaviour change and addiction theory(Borland, 2014; Orford, 2011).
It is also predicted that employing multiple measures will provide a coherent
picture of problem gambling experiences for the individual in the context of
modern theoretical approaches.
Regression analysis produced significant findings from;
Self report – past week behaviour p=.036, dissociation p<.001
LIWC2007 analysis - p<.01
Implicit tasks – MouseTracker p=.01
Statistical analysis of self report and interview alongside implicit responses predict
52.8% of variance in problem gambling
Method
Discussion
Longitudinal mixed methods using multiple measures.
60 regular gamblers were initially recruited to be interviewed at 3 month
intervals over two years.
Alongside interviews, the participants completed self reports questionnaires
The new implicit MouseTracker task provides the potential to predict problem
gambling without the need for explicit self disclosure, by measuring mouse
movements during a gambling task.
Themes have emerged in the interviews that correspond with participants self
reported problem gambling which providing a coherent understanding of the
behaviour in relation to Dual Processing, Behaviour Change and Addiction theory.
Changes in problem gambling corresponds more with self perception of concerns
and internal and external conflicts than with traditional quantifiable measures.
(gambling engagement, Dissociation, False beliefs and Problem Gambling Severity Index (Ferris & Wynne, 2001)
Implicit tasks were the Gambling Stroop Task and Roulette MouseTracker task,
a gambling decision making task measuring mouse movements during selection
of RED or BLACK options (Freeman & Ambady, 2007).
Interviews were analysed by LIWC2007 measuring word frequency (Pennabaker, Francis & Booth,
2001) and IPA qualitative methods (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009).
References
American Psychiatric Association(2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, (DSM-5®): American Psychiatric Pub.
Borland, R. (2013). Understanding Hard to Maintain Behaviour Change: A Dual Process Approach: John Wiley & Sons.
Freeman, J. B., & Ambady, N. (2010). MouseTracker: Software for studying real-time mental processing using a computer mouse-tracking method.
Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 226-241.
LaPlante, D. A., Nelson, S. E., LaBrie, R. A., & Shaffer, H. J. (2011). Disordered gambling, type of gambling and gambling involvement in the British
Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007. The European Journal of Public Health, 21(4), 532-537.
Orford, J., (2012) Gambling in Britain: the application of restraint erosion theory. Addiction, 107(12), 2082-2086.
Pennebaker, J. W., Francis, M. E., & Booth, R. J. (2001). Linguistic inquiry and word count: LIWC 2001. Mahway: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 71, 2001.
Smith, Flowers, Larkin (2009) Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis; Theory, Method and Research. SAGE, London
Wiers, R. W., & Stacy, A. W. (2006). Implicit cognition and addiction. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(6), 292-296.
Ferris, J. & Wynne, H. (2001) The Canadian Problem Gambling Index, Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research
IPA analysis of interviews reveal key themes that correspond with self reported
levels of change along a continuum of PG .
External influence
Disorganised Behaviour
Conflict
Self Identity
Organised Behaviour
Change
There are implications for methods of identifying problem gambling without
explicit self disclosure and developing new approaches to treating problem
gambling behaviour, through re-alignment of gamblers self identity and decision
making rather than traditional approaches of self restraint.