Towards a relational framework for pathological gambling (Part I): Five circuits

Relationship patterns before and after pathological gambling were investigated qualitatively using eight in‐depth clinical case studies in which one partner met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV pathological gambling criteria. Five circuits of couple interactions are described: (i) fault‐lines; (ii) pressure points; (iii) escalation; (iv) relapse and (v) congruence. The exploration of these circuits is developed in two complementary articles. This first article delineates the first four circuits as recursive self‐perpetuating cycles of couple distress in systemic interaction with pathological gambling development and relapse. The second article delineates how a couple can be helped to extricate themselves from these recursive circuits through ‘congruence’. Implications of this relational formulation of pathological gambling for conceptualization, assessment and treatment are discussed.     

Relationship of hardiness,grit, and emotional intelligence to internet addiction,excessive consumer spending,and gambling

Hardiness is conceptualized as the courage that protects against such effects of denial and avoidance of life’s stressors as internet addiction, excessive consumer spending, and gambling. Also relevant protections may be grit, and emotional intelligence (EI). This study compares the relative effectiveness of these three aspects of personality on the negative performance considerations mentioned. All the measures of personality and performance were completed by a sample of undergraduates. The results showed that, as expected, hardiness was a better negative predictor of internet addiction and excessive consumer spending than were grit and emotional intelligence. There is also some indication that hardiness was also a better protection against gambling.     

MANIPULATING SLOT MACHINE PREFERENCE IN PROBLEM GAMBLERS THROUGH CONTEXTUAL CONTROL

Pathological and nonpathological gamblers completed a task that assessed preference among 2 concurrently available slot machines. Subsequent assessments of choice were conducted after various attempts to transfer contextual functions associated with irrelevant characteristics of the slot machines. Results indicated that the nonproblem gambling group, but not the problem gambling group, increased their responding toward the slot initially trained as greater than following the initial training procedure, then decreased their responding toward that slot following the reversal phase.     

Neurobehavioral evidence for the "Near-Miss" effect in pathological gamblers

The purpose of this translational study was twofold: (1) to contrast behavioral and brain activity between pathological and nonpathological gamblers, and (2) to examine differences as a function of the outcome of the spin of a slot machine, focusing predominately on the "Near-Miss"--when two reels stop on the same symbol, and that symbol is just above or below the payoff line on the third reel. Twenty-two participants (11 nonpathological; 11 pathological) completed the study by rating the closeness of various outcomes of slot machine displays (wins, losses, and near-misses) to a win. No behavioral differences were observed between groups of participants, however, differences in brain activity were found in the left midbrain, near the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (SN / VTA). Near-miss outcomes uniquely activated brain regions associated with wins for the pathological gamblers and regions associated with losses for the nonpathological gamblers. Thus, near-miss outcomes on slot machines may contain both functional and neurological properties of wins for pathological gamblers. Such a translational approach to the study of gambling behavior may be considered an example that gives life to B. F. Skinner's conceptualization of the physiologist of the future.     

Gambling Habits of Athletes and Nonathletes Classified as Disordered Gamblers

The objective of the present study was to determine the forms of gambling that were the most prevalent in those having problems with their gambling. High-risk individuals who were experiencing difficulties with their gambling were examined. Specifically, the gambling behaviors of current athletes, former athletes, and nonathletes were investigated. Only members of these 3 groups with elevated scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) were tested. Specifically, only those classified as disordered gamblers (SOGS score ≥ 3) were recruited. Among these individuals with high SOGS scores, former athletes were more likely to participate in skill-based forms of gambling such as sports gambling and poker card playing, whereas nonathletes were more likely to partake in gambling games that were based predominately on chance factors. Also, former athletes were more likely to wager on the sport they had once played. Findings suggest that a competitive spirit may lead athletes to involvement in skill-based forms of gambling. While other explanations were considered, preliminary indicators support this view.     

The Relationship of Impulsiveness to Psychoticism and Extraversion in Elderly Psychiatric Patients

I conducted a correlational study to test the hypothesis that resource allocation outcomes become more favorable as uncertainty assessment accuracy (i.e., resolution and calibration) increases. For each of 32 college basketball games, participants predicted which team would win, estimated the subjective probability that their prediction was correct, and were given the opportunity to place a wager. The dependent variable was profit earned over the 32 bets. Proportion correct and mean certainty were controlled in the analyses. Results indicated that individuals with higher resolution scores earned significantly more profit than those with lower scores. Higher profits were also associated with better calibration.     

成瘾人群的决策障碍：研究范式与神经机制

药物成瘾者和赌博成瘾者常常偏好即刻的奖赏而忽视将来的消极结果。在进行决策任务时, 他们倾向于做出不利的选择, 偏好短时的获益而不顾长期的损失, 这是一种决策障碍的表现。延迟折扣任务(DDT)、爱荷华赌博任务(IGT)和剑桥赌博任务(CGT)是研究决策障碍的三种常用方法和范式, 分别考察成瘾人群的冲动性决策、决策短视和决策时的冒险行为。近十几年来的研究表明, 前额叶皮层(PFC)在人类的决策活动中起重要作用。其中, 腹内侧前额叶(VMPFC)、眶额叶(OFC)、背外侧前额叶(DLPFC)等皮层的功能变化与成瘾人群的决策障碍有密切关系。     

竞争与情绪对顿悟的原型启发效应的影响

以汉字字谜为材料, 采用“原型学习-问题测试”范式, 考察不同竞争水平(高、中、低竞争强度和无竞争)情境下诱发的情绪效价(积极、中性和消极)对顿悟中的原型启发的影响。结果发现：1)竞争水平对字谜问题解决中的原型启发有显著影响, 低强度竞争水平最有利于靶字谜问题的解决, 中等强度和高强度下效果次之, 无竞争条件下效果最差; 2)诱发情绪对靶字谜问题解决的原型启发也有显著影响, 消极情绪和中性情绪下比积极情绪下靶字谜的正确率更高; 3)有无竞争与情绪效价之间的交互作用显著, 体现了竞争和情绪这两种动力相关因素在原型启发中的动力作用不是独立的。     

自恋与决策的研究现状及展望

目前, 自恋与决策的研究主要依托实验室任务进行, 涉及赌博、投资和管理等领域的决策行为。大部分研究结果表明, 自恋者在上述实验任务中都表现出明显的决策偏差与风险决策, 但也有研究证实了某些情境下其决策的有效性。自恋与决策的理论模型主要包括人格特质模型、自我调节模型、归因模型与趋近回避模型等, 未来研究应注意方法的改进、自恋的积极功能、情绪的作用以及文化的影响。