Adolescent gambling and problem gambling: examination of an extended theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

Adolescent problem gambling is acknowledged as a public health concern. To better understand adolescent gambling and problem gambling behaviour, the present study investigated the relationships between psychological correlates of gambling frequency and problem gambling using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB; i.e. intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, perceptions of behavioural control) that includes negative anticipated emotions as a factor associated with gambling intentions. Four hundred and nineteen high school students were surveyed in the Montreal (Canada) region. The findings generally support the applicability of an extended TPB model for explaining gambling behaviour frequency and gambling problems among adolescents. The results reveal that negative anticipated emotions, attitudes and perceptions of behavioural control influence gambling intentions. The results further reveal that intentions and attitudes have a direct relationship with gambling frequency, while intentions and perceptions of behavioural control are directly related to problem gambling behaviours. These findings suggest that adolescent problem gambling prevention and intervention efforts should consider targeting negative anticipated emotions and other TPB components in order to postpone initiation to gambling (a risk factor for problem gambling) and to promote gambling decision-making.

Keywords::

• adolescence
• problem gambling
• frequency
• conceptual model
• evaluation

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Nathan Hall, PhD, for his contribution to the early development of this article.

Conflicts of interest

Funding sources: This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) under Grant number 430-2012-0467; and the Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) under Award number 167860.

Competing interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Constraints on publishing

No constraints on publishing were reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. See Blinn-Pike, Worthy, and Jonkman (2010), Stinchfield (2010) and Volberg et al. (2010) for a more thorough discussion of methodological issues and concerns regarding the assessment of problem or pathological gambling among youth.

^2. The terminology used to describe gambling problems has changed over time. The current DSM-5 term is ‘gambling disorder’ (see American Psychiatric Association, 2013 for a detailed description).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Renée A. St-Pierre

Renée A. St-Pierre, MA, is a doctoral candidate in the School/Applied Child Psychology Program at McGill University, Canada. Her doctoral research examines the effectiveness of a preventive intervention for excessive gambling behaviour in adolescents using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the related construct of negative anticipated emotions. Her general areas of research interest include the prevention of adolescent high-risk and addictive behaviours, as well as responsible gambling policies.

Jeffrey L. Derevensky

Jeffrey L. Derevensky, PhD, is a child psychologist, professor of School/Applied Child Psychology, and professor, Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. He is a clinical consultant to numerous hospitals, school boards, government agencies and corporations. He has published widely in the field of youth gambling and is on the editorial board of several journals. He is co-director of the McGill's International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors.

Caroline E. Temcheff

Caroline E. Temcheff, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor, Département de psychoéducation at Université de Sherbrooke. Her areas of research interests lie mainly in longitudinal life-course trajectories of maladaptive behavioural patterns in childhood, and longitudinal predictors of gambling problems.

Rina Gupta

Rina Gupta, PhD, is a practising child psychologist and co-director of the McGill University Youth Gambling Research & Treatment Clinic and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors. She has published widely and has focused her research and social policy work in the area of youth gambling issues.