[Sensation seeking in a French population of horse betting gamblers: comparison between pathological and regular].
Abstract: A theoretical position on the role of arousal in gambling comes in the form of Zuckerman's theory of sensation seeking. Zuckerman originally suggested a relationship between sensation seeking and gambling in which individuals entertain the risk of monetary loss for the positive reinforcement produced by states of high arousal during the periods of uncertainty, as well as the positive arousal produced by winning. However, this hypothesis has received inconsistent support. Results of the literature support the view that there is a difference between gambling form selection and use, suggesting that gambling cannot be viewed as an homogeneous activity. The aim of this study was to examine the personality trait sensation seeking in a French population of gamblers who bet on horses at the racetrack. Our results will discuss the disparities of the literature between pathological gambling and sensation seeking. Objective: Pathological gamblers who go to the racetrack are higher sensation seekers than regular gamblers. Gamblers betting on many different forms scored higher on sensation seeking. Methods: Two groups of gamblers were formed and recruited in five different hippodromes. One group of regular gamblers (n=72), from which pathological gamblers were extracted (n=42). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling were used to assess the intensity of the gambling behavior, and sensation seeking was measured by Zuckerman's sensation seeking scale. Results: The results showed that pathological gamblers obtained significantly higher scores of sensation seeking than regular gamblers. These results were significant for the global score of sensation seeking as well as for the factors of disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility. No correlation was found between the sensation-seeking scale total score and the number of regular games played. Conclusions: The sensation-seeking personality trait permits the discrimination of pathological from regular gamblers who go to the racetrack. In the literature, data came from gamblers who practice off-course betting. Nevertheless, pathological gamblers who go to the racetrack seemed to differ from those who practice off-course betting in terms of sensation seeking. The former are high sensation seekers whereas the latter are low sensation seekers. Racetrack gamblers are likely to be more involved in staking plans than off-course gamblers. One way of conceiving the distribution of sensation seekers within gambling forms might be to combine the relationships depicted with the dichotomy made between skills and luck games, or with the serious-recreational, casino-non-casino distinctions. There is a need to identify clinically distinct subgroups of gamblers who exhibit common, cardinal symptoms but, at the same time, who differ significantly with respect to key variables that are of etiological relevance and can be used in treatment and prognosis. To establish different subtypes, it is important to take into account the venue and the type of games as well as the sensation-seeking scores and the motivation of the gambler. These subtypes of gamblers are discussed.
Publication Date: 2008-03-25 PubMed ID: 18357851DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2006.08.010Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- English Abstract
- Journal Article
Summary
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This study analyzes the role of sensation seeking—a personality trait that involves the pursuit of novel and intense experiences—in differentiating between regular and pathological horse betting gamblers in France. Findings suggest that pathological gamblers, who struggle to manage their gambling habits, have significantly higher levels of sensation seeking compared to regular gamblers.
Objectives and Methodology
- The objective of this study was to delve into whether pathological gamblers who regularly bet on horse races exhibited a higher degree of sensation seeking as opposed to ordinary gamblers.
- Two groups of gamblers were selected and studied within five different racetracks. This included a group of normal gamblers (72 individuals) and a group of diagnosed pathological gamblers (42 individuals).
- The researchers used the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the DSM-IV criteria (a professional manual for diagnosing mental disorders) for pathological gambling to gauge the severity of the gambling behavior.
- Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Scale, a psychological tool developed to measure the trait of sensation seeking in individuals, was also used.
Key Findings
- The study found that pathological gamblers exhibited noticeably higher levels of sensation seeking than regular gamblers. These results were significant not only for the overall sensation seeking score, but also for the factors of disinhibition (acting rashly without thinking) and susceptibility to boredom.
- No correlation was discovered between the overall sensation-seeking score and the number of regular games played by the individuals.
Conclusions and Implications
- The sensation-seeking personality trait enables differentiation between regular gamblers and pathological gamblers who frequent racetracks.
- Racetrack pathological gamblers differ from those who partake in off-course betting in terms of sensation seeking. The former group are high sensation seekers, whereas the latter group are low sensation seekers, implying that the manner in which gambling occurs can influence the level of thrill-seeking involved.
- Pathological racetrack gamblers are hypothesized to be more involved in staking plans (strategic betting) than off-course gamblers.
- Identifying clinically distinct subgroups of gamblers with common symptoms, yet with significant distinctions referring to key variables relating to the cause of their problem and potential treatment and prognosis, is essential.
- The researchers suggest that a better understanding of subtypes of gamblers necessitates considering the gambling venue, the type of games played, sensation seeking scores, and the individual’s motivation to gamble.
Cite This Article
APA
Bonnaire C, Varescon I, Bungener C.
(2008).
[Sensation seeking in a French population of horse betting gamblers: comparison between pathological and regular].
Encephale, 33(5), 798-804.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2006.08.010 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Université Paris-Descartes, 75270 Paris cedex, France. celinebonnaire@chez.com
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / diagnosis
- Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / ethnology
- Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / psychology
- Exploratory Behavior
- Female
- France / epidemiology
- Gambling / psychology
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Population Surveillance / methods
- Prevalence
- Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Grall-Bronnec M, Sauvaget A, Perrouin F, Leboucher J, Etcheverrigaray F, Challet-Bouju G, Gaboriau L, Derkinderen P, Jolliet P, Victorri-Vigneau C. Pathological Gambling Associated With Aripiprazole or Dopamine Replacement Therapy: Do Patients Share the Same Features? A Review.. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2016 Feb;36(1):63-70.
- Nower L, Martins SS, Lin KH, Blanco C. Subtypes of disordered gamblers: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.. Addiction 2013 Apr;108(4):789-98.
- Gupta R, Nower L, Derevensky JL, Blaszczynski A, Faregh N, Temcheff C. Problem gambling in adolescents: an examination of the pathways model.. J Gambl Stud 2013 Sep;29(3):575-88.
- Germain C, Vahanian A, Basquin A, Richoux-Benhaim C, Embouazza H, Lejoyeux M. Brief report: coronary heart disease: an unknown association to pathological gambling.. Front Psychiatry 2011;2:11.
- Bonnaire C, Bungener C, Varescon I. Subtypes of French pathological gamblers: comparison of sensation seeking, alexithymia and depression scores.. J Gambl Stud 2009 Dec;25(4):455-71.
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