Ryan J. Martin

Using the theory of planned behavior to predict gambling behavior

Gambling is an important public health concern. To better understand gambling behavior, we conducted a classroom-based survey that assessed the role of the theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., intentions, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) in past-year gambling and gambling frequency among college students. Results from this research support the utility of the TPB to explain gambling behavior in this population. Specifically, in TPB models to predict gambling behavior, friend and family subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predicted past-year gambling, and friend and family subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control predicted gambling frequency. Intention to gamble mediated these relationships. These findings suggest that college-based responsible gambling efforts should consider targeting misperceptions of approval regarding gambling behavior (i.e., subjective norms), personal approval of gambling behavior (i.e., attitudes), and perceived behavioral control to better manage gambling behavior in various situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Disordered Gambling: Etiology, Trajectory, and Clinical Considerations

Gambling-related research has advanced rapidly during the past 20 years. As a result of expanding interest in pathological gambling (PG), stakeholders (e.g., clinicians, regulators, and policy makers) have a better understanding of excessive gambling, including its etiology (e.g., neurobiological/neurogenetic, psychological, and sociological factors) and trajectory (e.g., initiation, course, and adaptation to gambling exposure). In this article, we examine these advances in PG-related research and then consider some of the clinical implications of these advances. We consider criteria changes for PG recently proposed by the DSM-V Impulse Control Work Group for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). We also review how clinicians can more accurately and efficiently diagnose clients seeking help for gambling-related problems by utilizing brief screens. Finally, we consider the importance of future research that can identify behavioral markers for PG. We suggest that identifying these markers will allow clinicians to make earlier diagnoses, recommend targeted treatments, and advance secondary prevention efforts.

Drinking Likelihood, Alcohol Problems, and Peer Influence Among First-Year College Students

Excessive alcohol consumption is a predominant health concern on college campuses in the United States. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictive values of demographic factors in relation to alcohol subscales (Drinking Context Scale, College Alcohol Problems Scale-revised, and Social Modeling Scale) with the outcome of number of drinking days in the past 30 days among a sample (n = 224) of first-year college students. The final model predicted 37.5% of the variability in drinking days in the past month. All variables, except for race, were significantly associated with the outcome (p <. 05).

The feasibility of assessing alcohol use among college students using wireless mobile devices: Implications for health education and behavioural research

Objective: This study examined the feasibility of using wireless mobile devices (MDs) to collect daily alcohol information among college students, in particular examining feasibility in the context of costs associated with the use of wireless MDs. This study reports on practical aspects of using MDs to collect alcohol data, including compliance, technical success, user preferences for completing MD-based assessments, and cost. Setting: The study took place at a large, public university in the south-eastern United States. Design: A two-group, randomized design was used. A daily assessment of alcohol use administered using wireless MDs was completed by a group of college students (n=86) for 30 days and compared to a paper-based (PB) daily assessment of alcohol use completed by a second group of college students (n=83) over the same time period. Results: Completion rates for the MD assessment (85.8 per cent) were comparable to the PB assessment (97.6 per cent) given the differences in mode of administration. Participants found the MDs easy to use (83.7 per cent), easy to read (94.2 per cent), and on average liked completing the daily MD assessment (M 4.47, SD 1.16) significantly more than respondents liked completing the PB assessment (M 3.88, SD 1.08; t [164] 3.84, p < 0.001). Few participants in the MD group reported that they were uncomfortable (9.3 per cent) or nervous (2.3 per cent) completing daily assessments using the MDs. Conclusion: Results indicate that the feasibility of using MDs for data collection may be influenced by user preferences and should be tested on different health behaviours in more diverse populations.

Reliability and Validity of the Alcohol Consequences Expectations Scale.

OBJECTIVES To examine the reliability and validity of a new measure of alcohol outcome expectations for college students, the Alcohol Consequences Expectations Scale (ACES). METHODS College students (N=169) completed the ACES and several other measures. RESULTS Results support the existence of 5 internally consistent subscales. Additionally, the ACES is associated with conceptually similar measures and self-reported drinking behavior. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the reliability of the ACES and its subscales and provides preliminary evidence of construct and criterion-related validity. Pending further investigation, this scale may be used to inform the development of alcohol abuse prevention programs on college campuses.

Validation of the Drinking Context Scale (DCS-9) for use with non-adjudicated first-year college students

The Drinking Context Scale (DCS-9) has been used to measure the impact of drinking during social, emotional, and situational contexts. Psychometric properties remain unevaluated in a population of non-adjudicated first-year college students in the southeast. Liseral 8.8 was used to test the factorial validity of the DCS, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The original three factor model for the DCS represented acceptable fit to the data (chi(2)=36.72, df=24, p=0.047, CFI=0.991, SRMR=.0406) supporting its use with first-year college students. Invariance between gender, ethnic group, and geographical regions should be examined by future researchers.

Validation of the College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) for use with non-adjudicated first-year students.

First-year students in transition to college are at increased risk for consuming greater amounts of alcohol and are subject to subsequent alcohol-related problems. The 8-item College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) has been used to measure alcohol-related problems in adjudicated undergraduates and psychology majors. However, structural validity of the CAPS-r has not been examined in a general first-year student population. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the structural validity of this two-factor model using LISREL 8.5. The original two-factor measurement model for the 8-item CAPS-r represented acceptable fit to the data (chi(2)=37.52, df=19, p=.007, CFI=.968, SRMR=.0449), supporting its use with first-year college students. Future studies need to examine invariance across ethnic, gender, and geographical groups.

Daily and season-long fantasy sports participation and gambling-related problems among a sample of college students at three universities

ABSTRACT Traditionally, fantasy sports have been played in season-long leagues, but recently daily fantasy sports (DFS) have emerged, allowing participants to play fantasy contests over shorter periods of time. Although participating in fantasy sports contests with entry fees or deposits could be considered a form of gambling, very few studies have examined associations between fantasy sport participation and gambling-related problems. Using a 2016 sample of college students (N = 941) at three institutions, this study examined associations between fantasy sports participation (season-long and DFS) and (1) gambling, (2) gambling frequency, and (3) endorsing DSM-5 gambling disorder (GD) criteria. The study found that engagement with fantasy sports and paying to play increased the likelihood of gambling and more frequent gambling. Respondents who paid an entry fee/deposit to play fantasy sports gambled more frequently than those who did not, and respondents who participated in DFS endorsed more DSM-5 GD criteria than those who did not. Because of the association found between DFS play and gambling-related problems in some participants, the study suggests that mental health professionals who treat clients with gambling problems be cognizant of DFS and that some clients might be experiencing problems with DFS.