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Gender Differences in Self-Conscious Emotions and Motivation to Quit Gambling

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Abstract

Considerable gender differences have been previously noted in the prevalence, etiology, and clinical features of problem gambling. While differences in affective states between men and women in particular, may explain differential experiences in the process of gambling, the role of affect in motivations for quitting gambling and recovery has not been thoroughly explored. The aim of this study was to examine gender differences within a sample of problem gamblers motivated to quit with or without formal treatment, and further, to explore the interactions between gender, shame and guilt-proneness, and autonomous versus controlled reasons for change. Motivation for change and self-conscious emotional traits were analyzed for 207 adult problem gamblers with an interest in quitting or reducing their gambling (96.6 % not receiving treatment). Overall, gender differences were not observed in clinical and demographic characteristics. However, women exhibited greater shame [F(1,204) = 12.11, p = 0.001] and guilt proneness [F(1,204) = 14.16, p < 0.001] compared to men, whereas men scored higher on trait detachment [F(1,204) = 7.08, p = 0.008]. Controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics, general linear models revealed that autonomous motivation for change was associated with higher guilt-proneness, greater problem gambling severity, and the preparation stage of change; whereas controlled forms of motivation were significantly associated with higher shame-proneness and greater problem gambling severity. No gender effects were observed for either motivation for change. These findings suggest that the process of change can be different for shame-prone and guilt-prone problem gamblers, which may impact behavioral outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Center. The authors would like to thank Ms. Tamara Arenovich for her assistance with data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Epidemiological Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada

    Vladyslav Kushnir, Alexandra Godinho & John A. Cunningham

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    David C. Hodgins

  3. Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Christian S. Hendershot

  4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Christian S. Hendershot

  5. National Institute for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    John A. Cunningham

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  1. Vladyslav Kushnir
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Correspondence to Vladyslav Kushnir.

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This research was funded by the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre.

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All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Kushnir, V., Godinho, A., Hodgins, D.C. et al. Gender Differences in Self-Conscious Emotions and Motivation to Quit Gambling. J Gambl Stud 32, 969–983 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-015-9574-6

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