Weakened Prosocial Orientation among Young Gamblers in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

While Hong Kong witnesses heated debates on legalization of gambling on ball games, the press has revealed little research data concerning the impact of gambling on youths. To fill the research vacuum, the present study examines the impact of various forms of gambling on the youth's prosocial orientation, including citizenship, fraud, study and work performance, and family concern, with a random sample obtained by telephone survey. Results give support to the expected detrimental effects on prosocial orientation. Of particular concern is the extra impairment due to the frequency of betting on ball games, given the presence of effects of factors of gambling and a prosocial disposition that governs both gambling and prosocial orientation.