Although several studies have reported that gamblers display steeper rates of delay discounting than non-gamblers, other research has failed to find a systematic relationship between self-reported frequency of gambling and discounting of different outcomes. One hundred fifty six college students self-reported their frequency of gambling, completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and then completed a delay-discounting task involving five different outcomes. Self-reported frequency of gambling was correlated with discounting of one outcome (finding an ideal dating partner) and the correlation was in the opposite direction of what would be expected from the literature. SOGS scores were significantly and positively correlated with rates of discounting monetary outcomes, but not non-monetary outcomes. The present results cast doubt on the usefulness of selfreports of gambling frequency. They also suggest that although gamblers may display steeper rates of delay discounting than non-gamblers, this result may only apply to certain outcomes (e.g., money) and not others (e.g., finding the ideal dating partner, obtaining the ideal body image)
