Promoting Adolescent Safer Gambling Through Self-Referent Counterfactual Thinking and Knowledge of Probabilistic Outcome.

Research have continued to advocate for various safer gambling strategies (SGs) to curb initiation and sustenance of problem gambling through the conceptualization and development of SG tools. The present study aims to extend this advocacy by examining cognitive processes that promote adolescent responsible gambling (RG) in Nigeria. Young adolescents (N = 962, Mage =16.06, SD = 4.12) recruited from a high school population responded to measures of self-referent counterfactual thinking (S-RCFT), knowledge of probabilistic outcomes (KPO), and RG. Hayes PROCESS macro analysis result showed that S-RCFTs and KPO were positively associated with RG. More importantly, it was revealed that KPO amplified the S-RCFT-RG link and provided a plausible pathway to understanding the effect of S-RCFT on RG. This calls for SG advocacies to encourage adolescent gamblers to hold themselves responsible for responsible gambling, and to understand that gambling wins randomly occur. The limitations of the study and recommendations are highlighted.

Near-Misses Predict Youth Gambling Intention via Illusion of Control.

We examined the moderating role of an illusion of control (IOC) in the differential contributions of forms of near-miss (NM) in youths intent to gamble in Nigeria (n = 60, mean age = 18.05, SD = 3.81) using a randomized group design. Data were obtained by means of the gambling episode stimulus material that varied NM into early-miss, late-miss, near-win and near-loss groups, and self-report measures of IOC and gambling intention. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) result showed that NM groups differed significantly on gambling intention. HAYES PROCESS macro moderation analysis results of NM categories as dummy variables showed that early miss had a non-significant negative effect on gambling intention, late miss had a significant positive effect on gambling intention, near win had a significant positive effect on gambling intention, IOC had a negative effect on gambling intention, and negatively moderated the effect of early win on gambling.

Mediating Role of Impulsivity in the Contributory Roles of Upward Versus Downward Counterfactual Thinking in Youth Gambling Intention.

The proliferation of gambling shops, and the growing gambling prevalence in Nigeria, youths have constantly engaged in gambling activities even during school period. This has raised concerns among therapists and parents as the trend could degenerate to problem gambling and its associated psychosocial problems if left unchecked. Our study examined the role of impulsivity as a mediator in the association between two types of counterfactual thinking (CFT) and gambling intention in a non-clinical sample. A self-report measure containing South Oaks Gambling Screen: Reversed for Adolescents (SOGS: RA), CFT, and impulsivity scales was completed by 371 Nigerian adolescents who had gambled for money (mean age = 17.37 years; SD = 4.13). After controlling for age, increase in downward CFT was associated with decreased gambling intention, whereas increase in upward CFT and impulsivity were associated with increased gambling intention. Upward CFT contributed more to gambling intention than downward CFT. Mediation result showed that Impulsivity significantly mediated only the association between upward CFT and gambling intention. We concluded that gambling therapies should include treatment packages that enhance impulse control abilities and gambling-related downward CFT and at the same time, attenuate gambling-related upward CFT.

Moderating Effects of Herding Bias on the Relationship Between Parental Monitoring and Problem Gambling of Youths.

One critical issue in problem gambling is its variation as a function of psychosocial factors. We used empirical data from Nigerian youth Soccer gamblers (N = 238) to explore gambling herding bias as a moderator of the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling. Specifically, examine how changes in parental monitoring influence changes in problem gambling, and how this influence is a function of levels of herding bias. Hayes PROCESS macro analysis results revealed that increase in parental monitoring was associated with decrease in problem gambling, whereas increase in herding bias was associated with increase in problem gambling. Herding bias positively moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling such that, for respondents who had high and moderate herding bias scores, the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling was positive and strong, whereas, for repondents with low herding bias scores, the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling was negative. The present study reaffirms the negative and positive influences of parental monitoring and herding bias, respectively, on problem gambling among youths.

Moderating Effect of Impulsivity on the Association Between Entrapment and Problem Gambling.

Impulsivity as measure by delay discounting and entrapment have been known to influence gambling, but their individual and joint influence on problem gambling among Soccer gamblers are not yet understood. We examine the direct and moderation influences of entrapment and delay discounting on problem gambling among 174 Soccer gamblers in Nigeria. Data were obtained by means of self-report questionnaires of entrapment, delay discounting and problem gambling. Results from Hayes PROCESS moderated regression showed that delay discounting moderated the association between entrapment and problem gambling such that the association between entrapment and problem gambling was strong when delay discounting was high and diminished when delay discounting was low. Our findings provide insight into the conditional effect of delay discounting on the entrapment-problem gambling association.

Association of Near-Miss with Two Erroneous Gambling Cognitions and Betting Intention: Evidence from Nigerian Adolescents.

Evidences show increase of positive attitudes of Nigerian adolescents towards gambling in the past decade. Nigerian adolescents have been shown to spend significant part of their academic time and resources on Soccer bets. This behaviour could act as a predisposing factor for poor academic performances and problem gambling at adulthood. The present study drew from the cognitive distortion model to examine the mediational role of near-miss in the erroneous cognition-betting intention association through a survey study design. Male adolescents (N = 237; Mean age = 17.37 years; SD = 4.13) of public schools in Nigeria who engage in Soccer betting took part in the study. They completed self-report measures of erroneous cognition, near-miss and betting intention. Results revealed that interpretative bias was not associated with near-miss while it was positively associated with betting intention. Illusion of control was positively associated with near-miss and betting intention. Near-miss was positively associated with betting intention and mediated the associations between interpretative bias and betting intention (negative mediation) and illusion of control, and betting intention (positive mediation). The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.