Experiencing a significant win and its sociodemographic and motivational predictors: A comparative analysis of pure-chance gamblers from Poland and France

Research on the relationship between wins and gambling behavior often focuses on winning considerably large amounts of money. It seems, however, that it is not the amount of the win, but the significance that the player assigns to the win, that exerts a decisive influence on gambling behavior. Therefore, in this study we adopted the concept of significant win: a win perceived by gamblers as important to them. The research aimed to discover what kind of wins are experienced as significant and what factors explain experiencing wins as significant. This study, conducted in Poland (N = 3,143) and France (N = 5,692), also had a comparative goal: discovering intercultural differences in experiencing significant wins. A computer-assisted web survey was administered to gamblers who engaged in pure-chance gambling, where the participant does not influence the outcome of the gamble after the initial bet is placed - selected from representative samples in both countries. We used logistic regression models to examine predictors of significant win experience in both countries and the differences between the countries. The results demonstrated that Polish gamblers more frequently considered a win significant when it was accompanied by strong, often negative emotions and was higher in monetary value normalized in terms of average monthly personal income, than French gamblers. French gamblers more frequently associated a significant win with a positive experience. The common predictors of a significant win experience in both countries were: being in debt, experiencing the win of a close person, gambling in a game of pure chance other than lotteries, more systematic pursuit of gambling, self-enhancement motivation, and coping motivation to gamble. Age at initiation into gambling was a significant predictor only in the French sample, whereas a financial motivation was a significant predictor in the Polish one. The results confirmed that the subjective perception of gambling wins is only partially related to the amounts of wins, which has practical implications for planning prevention strategies

Measurement invariance of the short version of the problematic mobile phone use questionnaire (PMPUQ-SV) across eight languages

The prevalence of mobile phone use across the world has increased greatly over the past two decades. Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) has been studied in relation to public health and comprises various behaviours, including dangerous, prohibited, and dependent use. These types of problematic mobile phone behaviours are typically assessed with the short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ-SV). However, to date, no study has ever examined the degree to which the PMPU scale assesses the same construct across different languages. The aims of the present study were to (i) determine an optimal factor structure for the PMPUQ-SV among university populations using eight versions of the scale (i.e., French, German, Hungarian, English, Finnish, Italian, Polish, and Spanish); and (ii) simultaneously examine the measurement invariance (MI) of the PMPUQ-SV across all languages. The whole study sample comprised 3038 participants. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were extracted from the demographic and PMPUQ-SV items. Individual and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses alongside MI analyses were conducted. Results showed a similar pattern of PMPU across the translated scales. A three-factor model of the PMPUQ-SV fitted the data well and presented with good psychometric properties. Six languages were validated independently, and five were compared via measurement invariance for future cross-cultural comparisons. The present paper contributes to the assessment of problematic mobile phone use because it is the first study to provide a cross-cultural psychometric analysis of the PMPUQ-SV

Gambling in prisons – A nationwide Polish study of sentenced men.

Despite the abandonment of the criterion of committing illegal acts in the diagnosis of pathological gambling in fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), research confirms the significant link between crime, gambling, and gambling addiction. In Poland, this connection is observed by psychologists working in the prison service, who simultaneously report the need for more structured interactions that would solve gambling problems among prisoners. The lack of any data on the involvement of persons committing crimes in gambling in Poland formed the basis for the implementation of a survey of gambling behaviour and gambling problems among male offenders in Polish correctional institutions. A total of 1,219 sentenced men took part in the study. The research tool included 75 questions, including queries from the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Based on SOGS, the prevalence rate of severe problem gambling was 29.4% over the lifetimes of the prisoners. As many as 13.1% of respondents admitted to having gambled in prison. This activity usually involved cards, bets or dice. More than 74% of incarcerated men who gambled in prison met the criteria for pathological gambling. Prisoners who gambled more in prison than at liberty made up 27.7%. As many as 69.3% of respondents declared that while in prison, they had met fellow convicts experiencing problems because of gambling. The study shows that criminals continue gambling after detention, especially those who are problem gamblers, an overall finding which implies the need to implement preventive and therapeutic interventions in correctional institutions

Gambling Seniors and the Family Context

Artykuł stanowi prezentację części wyników badań aktywności hazardowej seniorów w Polsce. Badania z udziałem 80 respondentów w wieku 60+ przeprowadzone zostały metodą pogłębionego wywiadu jakościowego. W artykule przedstawione zostały wyniki dotyczące rodzinnego kontekstu uprawiania hazardu przez seniorów. Uwzględnione zostały następujące aspekty powiązania czynników rodzinnych z uprawianiem hazardu przez osoby starsze: rodzinne uwarunkowania inicjacji uprawiania hazardu przez seniorów, rodzinne czynniki motywujące do uprawiania hazardu, stosunek rodziny do uprawiania hazardu przez seniorów, konsekwencje grania dla życia rodzinnego. Osoby grające znały często hazard z domu rodzinnego, hazard uprawiany w wieku starszym stanowić może sposób na samotność bądź źródło nadziei na poprawę sytuacji finansowej i pomoc bliskim. Granie hazardowe w skrajnych przypadkach przyczynia się do rozpadu rodziny, częściej generuje konflikty z jej członkami. Bliscy wykazują różne postawy wobec grania – od tolerancji i bagatelizowania do ostrego sprzeciwu (w zależności od nasilenia grania przez seniora).The article presents some of the results of surveys on the gambling activity of seniors in Poland.1 Research on 80 respondents aged 60+ was conducted using an in-depth qualitative interview method. The article presents the results of the family context of gambling seniors. The following aspects linking family factors to elderly people gambling have been taken into account: family conditions that initiate gambling among seniors, family factors that motivate gambling, family attitudes towards gambling by seniors, and the consequences of gambling on family life. Gamblers often saw gambling practices in their own family homes, and so gambling practiced in old age may be a way of escaping from loneliness or be a source of hope for improving their financial situation and helping relatives. Gambling in extreme cases contributes to the breakup of the family, and often causes conflicts among family members. Relatives show different attitudes towards gambling, from tolerance and downplaying to severe opposition (depending on the severity of gambling by a senior)

Family Environment of Gamblers in Prison – Results of Qualitative Research

Badania prowadzone na świecie potwierdzają istnienie korelacji między uprawianiem hazardu a popełnianiem przestępstw, w związku z czym w populacji osób osadzonych można spodziewać się osób uprawiających hazard oraz uzależnionych od niego. Prawidłowość ta potwierdza się także w Polsce, w której w świetle badań aż 29% więźniów może być uzależnionych od hazardu. Pomimo eksploracji problemu powiązania przestępczości z graniem niewiele jest badań pogłębiających wiedzę na temat samych hazardzistów popełniających przestępstwa. Artykuł prezentuje wyniki badań jakościowych przeprowadzanych wśród osadzonych hazardzistów. Celem artykułu było scharakteryzowanie funkcjonowania rodzin graczy oraz próba wyjaśnienia roli rodziny w rozwoju zaangażowania w gry hazardowe.Research conducted around the world confirms the existence of a correlation between gambling and committing crimes, and therefore, we can expect to find gamblers and gambling addicts in the prison population. This regularity is also confirmed in Poland, where, according to research, as many as 29% of prisoners may be addicted to gambling. Despite our exploring the problem linking crime with gambling, there is not much in-depth research done about gamblers themselves committing crimes. The article presents the results of qualitative research conducted among imprisoned gamblers. The aim of the article is to characterize the functioning of families with gamblers and attempt to explain the role of the family in the development and involvement in gambling

Gambling Seniors and the Family Context

The article presents some of the results of surveys on the gambling activity of seniors in Poland.[1] Research on 80 respondents aged 60+ was conducted using an in-depth qualitative interview method. The article presents the results of the family context of gambling seniors. The following aspects linking family factors to elderly people who gamble have been taken into account: family conditions that initiate gambling among seniors, family factors that motivate gambling, family attitudes towards gambling by seniors, and the consequences of gambling on family life. Gamblers often saw gambling practices in their own family homes, and so gambling practiced in old age may be a way of escaping from loneliness or be a source of hope for improving their financial situation and helping relatives. Gambling in extreme cases contributes to the breakup of the family, and often causes conflicts among family members. Relatives show different attitudes towards gambling, from tolerance and downplaying to severe opposition (depending on the severity of gambling by a senior).   [1] The study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 within the “Gambling in the lives of seniors” project implemented by KUL and co-financed by the Gambling Problem Solving Fund at the disposal of the Minister of Health

Poznawczo-behawioralna koncepcja terapii hazardu patologicznego Roberta Ladouceura

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przybliżenie modelu psychoterapii dla osób z rozpoznaniem hazardu patologicznego, opracowanego przez Roberta Ladouceura w ramach podejścia poznawczo-behawioralnego. Głównym założeniem tego modelu jest praca z błędnymi przekonaniami pacjenta, uzupełniona o zapoznanie ich z behawioralnymi strategiami, mającymi na celu unikanie sytuacji zagrania. Prezentowany model ma zastosowanie zarówno w terapii indywidualnej, jak i grupowej. Dla każdej z nich opracowano zalecenia dotyczące przebiegu i treści poszczególnych spotkań. W artykule zaprezentowano także krótkie studium przypadku przedstawiające pracę z wykorzystaniem tego podejścia z pacjentem z problemem hazardu patologicznego

Loss of resources and gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic: A three-wave longitudinal study

Background and Aims: This study is based on the Conservation of Resources theory and investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated resource loss on gambling behaviour among Polish gamblers. Methods: The study surveyed 585 individuals engaged in land-based gambling before the pandemic. Participants completed computer-assisted web interviews, responding to questions regarding land-based and online gambling frequencies, the Problem Gambling Severity Index, and the Inventory of Loss of Resources in Pandemics. Results: The findings revealed significant shifts in gambling behaviour due to pandemic-related restrictions. Land-based gambling declined during lockdowns and the third wave of the study, while online gambling surged as gamblers transitioned from land-based venues. Gamblers tended to return to land-based options as restrictions eased. Over consecutive waves, participants reported decreasing resource loss levels. Significantly, resource loss was influenced by gambling frequency rather than vice versa. Discussion: Both types of gambling experienced parallel declines at the beginning of the pandemic, which subsided as the new situation became normalised. Players engaging more in gambling experienced more significant resource losses during the pandemic. Those with more resources at the pandemic's onset adapted more readily, whereas individuals with limited resources faced resource loss. Conclusions: Even with stable gambling levels, heavy gamblers at baseline were at higher risk for issues. The dynamics between resource loss and gambling and problem gambling supported the resource loss spiral concept

Coping Strategies and Motivation to Play Determinants of Behavioral Patterns of Playing Pay-to-Win Games

Aims The aim of the study was to identify psychological determinants of particular patterns of playing P2W games (including problem gaming): coping strategies and motivation to play. Methods The article presents the results of the study conducted among online Pay to Win (P2W) gamers (n = 868), defined as those who have declared to make payments in online games in order to gain an advantage over gamers who refuse to pay. Results The two patterns of problem gaming differed in their predictors; the pattern of larger contributions is associated with self-enhancement motivation, and the pattern of small frequent contributions is associated with social motivation and escape from problems. Conclusions The social factor proved to be the differentiator between the most distinct types of players. In this context, the question can be raised whether players who pay only for the aesthetic aspects of the game (and not for progress) should be excluded from P2W players. The mechanisms involved in these players may be similar, and if different, they would be worthwhile to analyze. Perhaps for some players P2W games are not strictly speaking “pay to win” but rather “pay to win admiration” games

A brief overview of the relationship between academic achievement and problematic internet use of adolescents and young adults: What are the main mediators?

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