Problem Gambling Among Post-Secondary Students and Student-Athletes

• Author / Creator

  Marcinkevics, Dustin

• This correlational study examines the predictive utility of several demographic and psychological variables on problem gambling categorization and severity within a population of post-secondary students and student-athletes. The current research used a integrative model of problem gambling developed by Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) to guide selection of problem gambling predictors. Analyses aimed to highlight differences in gambling predictors between sample groups that could shed light on problem gambling identification and treatment. In this study, 153 post-secondary students participated in the current study, made up of 100 students and 53 student-athletes. The average age of the sample was 21.9 years old, with the two most common ethnicities reported being Caucasian (50.3%) and Asian (39.2%). Participants completed an online survey containing four questionnaires, including the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), as subset of the Canadian Problem Gambling Inventory (CPGI; Ferris & Wynne, 2001), which measures various gambling domains including (1) gambling involvement, (2) problem gambling, (3) adverse consequences of gambling, and (4) problem gambling correlates. It also includes the gambling motivation measure (Lee, Chae, Lee, and Kim, 2007), Impulsivity Scale (UPPS-P; Cyders et al, 2007), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI 18; Derogatis, 1993) as a measure of general psychological distress. Logistic regression tested primary hypotheses regarding the significance of predictor variables on problem gambling categorization. Specifically, it was hypothesized that (a) student-athletic status, (b) identifying as male, and (c) beginning gambling at an early age would predict problem gambling categorization. Results indicated that the logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ2(3) = 28.60, p < .05 and explained 26.0% of the variance in problem gambling identification. Further, athletic status and sex were found to be significant predictors of problem gambling classification. Additionally, a secondary group of hypotheses were tested using multiple regression. Specifically, it was hypothesized that suspected correlates (i.e., gambling motivation, impulsivity, and psychological distress) would predict problem gambling severity in both samples, but with different risk profiles. A significant regression equation was found in the student sample F (4, 95) = 6.80, p < .05 and student-athlete sample (F (4, 48) = 8.06, p < .05), with overall model fits of 22% and 40%, respectively The significant predictor variables included in this equation were gambling motivation in the student sample and impulsivity in the student-athletes sample. Results of the study found no support for psychological distress predicting problem gambling in either group. Finally, descriptive data collected regarding gambling-related details, such as game preference, were investigated. Observed similarities and differences in gambling characteristics between students and student-athletes were reported, such as rates of gambling involvement, game preference, and betting size. Practical and theoretical implications of these results, as well as suggestions for further research, are discussed.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Gambling
  • Problem Gambling
  • Student
  • Student-athlete

• Graduation date

  Fall 2020

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-0wk3-ec15

• License

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