Financially Focused Self-Concept and Disordered Gambling Severity are Bidirectionally Related Over Time

Session Title

Session 3-3-A: Problem Gambling Motives and Pathways

Presenters

Nassim Tabri, Carleton UniversityFollow
Michael Wohl, Carleton University

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

25-5-2023 1:30 PM

End Date

25-5-2023 3:00 PM

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Abstract:

Financially focused self-concept refers to overvaluing the importance of financial success for self-definition and self-worth (e.g., “My value as a person depends upon the amount of money I have”). Theory suggests financially focused self-concept plays a pernicious role in the etiology and maintenance of disordered gambling. Providing support for this supposition, recent research has demonstrated as positive association between financially focused self-concept and disordered gambling symptomatology—an association that is independent of known etiological and maintenance factors. Critically, the extant research on link between financially focused self-concept and disordered gambling has been cross-sectional, which limits the ability to draw causal inferences about the direction of the relation. To the point, yet unknown is whether financially focused self-concept is an antecedent or a consequence of disordered gambling, or if the relation is bidirectional. In this presentation, we will discuss growing work about the role of financial success in disordered gambling and the results of two longitudinal studies (one student and one community sample). Both studies provide support for a bidirectional relation between financially focused self-concept and disordered gambling. The theoretical and practical significance of the findings will be discussed in terms of the prevention, progression, maintenance, and treatment of disordered gambling. (Word Count = 200/200)

Keywords: Financial success, disordered gambling, etiology, longitudinal research, self-concept

Implications:

This program of research has both basic and applied implications for understanding the etiology and maintenance of disordered gambling. In specific, this research suggests that researchers as well as treatment providers should consider the extent to which people have a financially focused self-concept in prevention as well as intervention initiatives. (Word count = 50/50)

Keywords

Disordered gambling, financial success, self-concept, longitudinal research, financially focused self-concept

Author Bios

Bios:

Dr. Nassim Tabri is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). A key research focus of his Mental Health and Addictions laboratory at Carleton University is on identifying transdiagnostic factors in the etiology and maintenance of various health-compromising behaviors, including disordered gambling and eating. He has published close to 50 peer-reviewed papers and received the 2021 Research of the Year Award from the International Center for Responsible Gambling. (Word Count = 71/75)

Dr. Michael J. A. Wohl is a Professor and Graduate Chair in Psychology at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). Work in his Carleton University Gambling Laboratory focuses on, among other things, factors that predict disordered gambling, facilitate responsible gambling, and promote sustained behavior change. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers and is the receipt of, among other recognitions, the International Center for Responsible Gambling’s International Center for Responsible Gambling’s Research Achievement Award Research Achievement Award and Carleton University’s Graduate Mentorship Award. (Word Count = 73/75)

Funding Sources

None

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Comments

Thanks Bret and Willie!