Abstract
Understanding the factors that contribute to problem gambling (PG) is imperative. Individual differences in sensation seeking (SS), as measured by the Sensation Seeking Scale Form (SSS-V), have been found to be predictive of PG among university student samples. However, what is less clear, is if the four SSS-V subscales capture unique facets of SS that are particularly predictive of PG. Much less studied than SS, competitiveness has also been found to be predictive of PG. The Competitiveness Orientation Measure (COM) is a newly developed measure of competitiveness, comprising of four facets. The main purpose of the current study was to examine if these four facets of competitiveness predicted variance in PG over and above the variance predicted by the four SSS-V subscales. Participants included 158 university student gamblers. Sequential regression analysis showed that after accounting for gender, age, and the four SSS-V subscales the only facet of the COM found to be a significant predictor of PG severity was Dominant Competitiveness. Dominant Competitiveness predicted an additional 11 % of PG severity. These results provide support for the Dominant Competitiveness subscale of the COM as having utility in predicting PG over and above the predictive utility of the SSS-V subscales. Practical implications for the current findings are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blascovich, J., Ginsburg, G. P., & Howe, R. C. (1976). Blackjack, choice shifts in the field. Sociometry, 39(3), 274–276. doi:10.2307/2786521.
Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 97(5), 487–499. doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x.
Burger, T. D., Dahlgren, D., & MacDonald, C. D. (2006). College students and gambling: An examination of gender differences in motivation for participation. College Student Journal, 40(3), 704–714.
Downey, R. G., & King, C. V. (1998). Missing data in Likert ratings: A comparison of replacement methods. The Journal of General Psychology, 125(2), 175–191. doi:10.1080/00221309809595542.
Ferris, J., & Wynne, W. (2001). The Canadian problem gambling index: Final report (submitted to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse). Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
Fortune, E. E., & Goodie, A. S. (2010). The relationship between pathological gambling and sensations seeking: The role of subscale scores. Journal of Gambling Studies, 26(3), 331–346. doi:10.1007/s10899-009-9162-8.
Ginsburg, G. P., Blascovich, J. J., & Howe, R. C. (1976). Risk-taking in the presence of others: Blackjack in the laboratory and in the field. In W. R. Eadington (Ed.), Gambling and society. Springfield, IL: Thomas.
Gupta, R., Derevensky, J., & Ellenbogen, S. (2006). Personality characteristics and risk-taking tendencies among adolescent gamblers. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 38(3), 201–213. doi:10.1037/cjbs2006008.
Hammelstein, P. (2004). Faites vos Jeux! Another look at sensation seeking and pathological gambling. Personality and Individual Differences, 37(5), 917–931. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2003.10.014.
Holtgraves, T. (2009). Evaluating the problem gambling severity index. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25(1), 105–120. doi:10.1007/s10899-008-9107-7.
Kohn, A. (1992). No contest: The case against competition. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
Langewisch, M. W., & Frisch, G. R. (1998). Gambling behavior and pathology in relation to impulsivity, sensation seeking, and risky behavior in male college students. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(3), 245–262. doi:10.1023/A:1022005625498.
Lesieur, H. R., & Blume, S. B. (1993). Revising the south oaks gambling screen in different settings. Journal of Gambling Studies, 9(3), 213–219. doi:10.1007/BF01015919.
Mercer, K. B., & Eastwood, J. D. (2010). Is boredom associated with problem gambling behavior? It depends on what you mean by ‘boredom’. International Gambling Studies, 10(1), 91–104. doi:10.1080/14459791003754414.
Mishra, S., Lalumière, M. L., & Williams, R. J. (2010). Gambling as a form of risk-taking: Individual differences in personality, risk-accepting attitudes, and behavioral preferences for risk. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(6), 616–621. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.05.032.
Mowen, J. C. (2000). The 3M model of motivation and personality: theory and empirical applications to consumer behavior. Berlin: Springer.
Mowen, J. C., Fang, X., & Scott, K. (2009). A hierarchical model approach for identifying the trait antecedents of general gambling propensity and of four gambling-related genres. Journal of Business Research, 62(12), 1262–1268. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.11.007.
Newby, J. (2010). The newly developed Competitiveness Orientation Measure: Psychometric development and evaluation (Master’s thesis). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 71916).
Newby, J., & Klein, R. G. (in press). Competitiveness reconceptualized: Psychometric development of the competitiveness orientation measure as a unified measure of trait competitiveness. Psychological Record.
Parke, A., Griffiths, M., & Irwing, P. (2004). Personality traits in pathological gambling: Sensation seeking, deferment of gratification, and competitiveness as risk factors. Addiction Research and Theory, 12(3), 201–212. doi:10.1080/1606635310001634500.
Powell, J., Hardoon, K., Derevensky, J. L., & Gupta, R. (1999). Gambling and risk-taking behavior among university students. Substance Use and Misuse, 34(8), 1167–1184. doi:10.3109/10826089909039402.
Roberti, J. W., Storch, E. A., & Bravata, E. (2003). Further psychometric support for the Sensation Seeking Scale-Form V. Journal of Personality Assessment, 81(3), 291–292. doi:10.1207/S15327752JPA8103_12.
Ryckman, R. M., Hammer, M., Kaczor, L. M., & Gold, J. A. (1990). Construction of a hypercompetitive attitude scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 55(3–4), 630–639. doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674097.
Ryckman, R. M., Thornton, B., & Butler, J. C. (1994). Personality correlates of the Hypercompetitive Attitude Scale: Validity tests of Horney’s theory of neurosis. Journal of Personality Assessment, 62(1), 84–94. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6201_8.
Smith, C., Stewart, S. H., O’Connor, R. M., Collins, P., & Katz, J. (2011). Development and psychometric evaluation of a 10-item short form inventory of gambling situations. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27(1), 115–128. doi:10.1007/s10899-0109192-2.
Weiss, S. M., & Loubier, S. L. (2008). Gambling behaviors of former athletes: The delayed competitive effect. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 12(1/2), 53–60.
Williams, R. J., Connolly, D., Wood, R. T., & Nowatzki, N. (2006). Gambling and problem gambling in a sample of university students. Journal of Gambling Issues, 16. doi:10.4309/jgi.2006.16.19.
Zuckerman, M. (2005). Faites vos Jeux Anouveau: Still another look at sensation seeking and pathological gambling. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(2), 361–365. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2005.01.012.
Zuckerman, M. (2007). The Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSS-V): Still reliable and valid. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(5), 1303–1305. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2007.03.021.
Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B., & Eysenck, H. J. (1978). Sensation seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(1), 139–149. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.46.1.139.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harris, N., Newby, J. & Klein, R.G. Competitiveness Facets and Sensation Seeking as Predictors of Problem Gambling Among a Sample of University Student Gamblers. J Gambl Stud 31, 385–396 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-013-9431-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-013-9431-4