Josh Weller - Using the risk-return model to explain Gambling Disorder symptoms in adolescents.
Historically, individual differences research has sought to explain problem-gambling severity in adolescence by means of unitary “risk-taking” traits, such as sensation seeking and impulsivity, implying that these personality traits account for risk-taking tendencies across different types of behaviors and situations. In the current study, we adopted a psychological risk-return framework, which posits that perceptions of perceived risks and benefits predict gambling risk attitudes, which in turn, account for variance in Gambling Disorder (GD) symptoms in adolescents. The study involved 296 Italian adolescents. Consistent with a psychological risk-return model, risk-taking scores for the Gambling domain predicted adolescent gambling outcomes, relative to the other risk-domains (Ethical, Health/Safety, Recreational, Social). Additionally, we found that greater Gambling risk perceptions were associated with lower risk-taking scores, whereas greater perceived expected benefits were associated with higher risk-taking scores. Moreover, we found significant indirect effects between perceived risks and benefits and problem-gambling severity, mediated via Gambling risk-taking scores, though expected benefits demonstrated a stronger indirect effect. These results have important implications for practice as they emphasize that specific interventions aimed at preventing problem gambling in adolescents should address their perceptions about gambling benefits.
Donati, M.A., Weller, J.A., & Primi, C. (in press). Using the risk-return model to explain Gambling Disorder symptoms in youth: An empirical investigation with Italian adolescents. Journal of Gambling Studies.