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Decision-Making, Cognitive Distortions and Alcohol Use in Adolescent Problem and Non-problem Gamblers: An Experimental Study

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Abstract

In the psychological literature, many studies have investigated the neuropsychological and behavioral changes that occur developmentally during adolescence. These studies have consistently observed a deficit in the decision-making ability of children and adolescents. This deficit has been ascribed to incomplete brain development. The same deficit has also been observed in adult problem and pathological gamblers. However, to date, no study has examined decision-making in adolescents with and without gambling problems. Furthermore, no study has ever examined associations between problem gambling, decision-making, cognitive distortions and alcohol use in youth. To address these issues, 104 male adolescents participated in this study. They were equally divided in two groups, problem gamblers and non-problem gamblers, based on South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents scores. All participants performed the Iowa gambling task and completed the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale and the alcohol use disorders identification test. Adolescent problem gamblers displayed impaired decision-making, reported high cognitive distortions, and had more problematic alcohol use compared to non-problem gamblers. Strong correlations between problem gambling, alcohol use, and cognitive distortions were observed. Decision-making correlated with interpretative bias. This study demonstrated that adolescent problem gamblers appear to have the same psychological profile as adult problem gamblers and that gambling involvement can negatively impact on decision-making ability that, in adolescence, is still developing. The correlations between interpretative bias and decision-making suggested that the beliefs in the ability to influence gambling outcomes may facilitate decision-making impairment.

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Notes

  1. In the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994), excessive problematic gambling behaviour was termed “pathological gambling”, whereas in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association 2013), the name was changed to “gambling disorder” (Petry et al. 2014)”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Viale Ellittico, 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy

    Maria Ciccarelli, Giovanna Nigro & Marina Cosenza

  2. Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Mark D. Griffiths

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  1. Maria Ciccarelli
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  2. Mark D. Griffiths
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  3. Giovanna Nigro
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  4. Marina Cosenza
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Correspondence to Maria Ciccarelli.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Ciccarelli, M., Griffiths, M.D., Nigro, G. et al. Decision-Making, Cognitive Distortions and Alcohol Use in Adolescent Problem and Non-problem Gamblers: An Experimental Study. J Gambl Stud 32, 1203–1213 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9597-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9597-7

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