Abstract
Gambling fallacies are a collection of error-stricken beliefs about gambling and how gambling works. Gambling fallacies, while common in the general public, appear to increase as a function of gambling severity. This being the case, many interventions have focused on reducing gambling fallacies as a means of treating problem-gambling. Less research, however, has investigated what factors contributes to gambling fallacy susceptibility in the first place. Available studies have identified associations between gambling fallacy susceptibility and isolated individual differences in, for example, statistical reasoning/understanding, intelligence, or cognitive ability. The current study aimed to assess these cognitive factors in conjunction, and their relative predictive potential for gambling fallacy susceptibility. In an Australian university student sample (n = 90) it was found that there were moderate to strong association between gambling fallacy endorsement and general intelligence, probabilistic reasoning ability, rational cognitive style and the ability to suppress intuitive thought, however, only probabilistic reasoning, rational cognitive style and the ability to suppress intuitive thinking contributed to the prediction of fallacy endorsement. Importantly, each of these factors are malleable. Interventions for the correction of gambling-specific fallacious beliefs should focus on these factors.
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Acknowledgements
This research was conducted with funding assistance to the first author from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The University of Gibraltar receives funding from the Gibraltar Gambling Care Foundation. However, this funding is not related to the current study and the funding institution had no role in the current study design, data collection, data analysis or interpretation, writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Thus, the authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest that would have any bearing on the current research study content or conclusions. The data reported in this manuscript has not been published elsewhere, nor is it under review for dissemination elsewhere. The authors would like to thank Nicollette Waschl for facilitating data collection for this study.
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Shaw, C.A., Williams, R.J., Violo, V.T. et al. Cognitive Factors that Predict Gambling Fallacy Endorsement. J Gambl Stud 39, 843–855 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-022-10177-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-022-10177-9