Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Is Executive Cognitive Function Associated with Youth Gambling?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Gambling Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our objectives for this report were to identify trajectories of youth gambling behavior, and to examine their relation to executive cognitive function (ECF) and associated problem behaviors. Philadelphia school children, enrolled at ages 10–12 years (n = 387; 49% male), completed three annual assessments of risk behaviors, ECF, impulsivity, problem behaviors and demographics. Across ages 10–15 years, using methods from Nagin et al., two groups were identified: Early Gamblers (n = 111) initiated early and continued in later assessments, and Later Gamblers (n = 276) initiated at later ages and gambled less. Betting money on cards and sports were the most frequently reported gambling behaviors. Using gambling group as outcome, final backward selection logistic regression model showed Early Gamblers are more likely male (P = 0.001), report more active coping (P = 0.042), impulsive behaviors (P ≤ 0.008), and have friends who gamble (P = 0.001). Groups were similar in ECF, parental monitoring, marital status, SES, and race. Early Gamblers had higher incidence of problem behaviors and drug use (all P ≤ 0.006). Two gambling groups were identified in early adolescence with Early Gamblers showing higher levels of impulsivity and comorbid problems but similar levels of ECF compared to Late Gamblers. As more gambling groups are identified through later adolescence, ECF may emerge as a relevant precursor of problem gambling at this later time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, G. M., Welte, J. W., Hoffman, J. H., & Dintcheff, B. A. (2005). Shared predictors of youthful gambling, substance use, and delinquency. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19(2), 165–174.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bergevin, T., Gupta, R., Derevensky, J., & Kaufman, F. (2006). Adolescent gambling: Understanding the role of stress and coping. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22, 195–208.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brand, M., Kalbe, E., Labudda, K., Fujiwara, E., Kessler, J., & Markowitsch, H. J. (2005). Decision-making impairments in patients with pathological gambling. Psychiatry Research, 133(1), 91–99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cavedini, P., Riboldi, G., Keller, R., D’Annucci, A., & Bellodi, L. (2002). Frontal lobe dysfunction in pathological gambling patients. Biological Psychiatry, 51(4), 334–341.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). 2003 state and local youth behavior survey. http://www.cdc.gov.

  • Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: Problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 127(1), 87–127.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crockford, D. N., Goodyear, B., Edwards, J., Quickfall, J., & el-Guebaly, N. (2005). Cue-induced brain activity in pathological gamblers. Biological Psychiatry, 58(10), 787–795.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Luca, C. R., Wood, S. J., Anderson, V., Buchanan, J. A., Proffitt, T. M., Mahony, K., et al. (2003). Normative data from the CANTAB. I: development of executive function over the lifespan. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 25(2), 242–254.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Derevensky, J. L., & Gupta, J. (2000). Youth gambling: A clinical and research perspective. e-Gambling: The Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues, 2, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goudriaan, A. E., Oosterlaan, J., de Beurs, E., & van den Brink, W. (2006). Neurocognitive functions in pathological gambling: A comparison with alcohol dependence, Tourette syndrome and normal controls. Addiction, 101(4), 534–547.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, M. (2003). Adolescent gambling: Risk factors and implications for prevention, intervention, and treatment. In D. Romer (Ed.), Reducing adolescent risk-toward an integrated approach (pp. 223–238). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. L. (1998). Adolescent gambling behavior: A prevalence study and examination of the correlates associated with problem gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(4), 319–345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. L. (2000). Adolescents with gambling problems: From research to treatment. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16(2–3), 315–342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardoon, K. K., Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. L. (2004). Psychosocial variables associated with adolescent gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(2), 170–179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. B., & Redlich, F. C. (2007). Social class and mental illness: a community study. 1958. American Journal of Public Health, 97(10), 1756–1757.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huizinga, M., Dolan, C. V., & van der Molen, M. W. (2006). Age-related change in executive function: developmental trends and a latent variable analysis. Neuropsychologia, 44(11), 2017–2036.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, M. K., Hopko, D. R., Bare, R., Lejuez, C. W., & Robinson, E. V. (2005). Construct validity of the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART): Associations with psychopathy and impulsivity. Assessment, 12(4), 416–428.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hurt, H., Giannetta, J. M., Brodsky, N. L., Shera, D., & Romer, D. (2008). Gambling initiation in preadolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(1), 91–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis, B. (2004). MediaLab (Version 2004.2.87). New York: Empirisoft.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, L. D., Bachman, J. G., & O’Malley, P. M. (2006). Monitoring the future: Questionnaire responses from the nation’s high school seniors. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, B. L., Nagin, D. S., & Roeder, K. (1998). A SAS procedure based on mixture models for estimating developmental trajectories: available at www.stat.cmu.edu/~bjones/traj.html.

  • Kaminer, Y., Burleson, J. A., & Jadamec, A. (2002). Gambling behavior in adolescent substance abuse. Substance Abuse, 23(3), 191–198.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lejuez, C. W., Aklin, W. M., Zvolensky, M. J., & Pedulla, C. M. (2003). Evaluation of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) as a predictor of adolescent real-world risk-taking behaviours. Journal of Adolescence, 26(4), 475–479.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lejuez, C. W., Read, J. P., Kahler, C. W., Richards, J. B., Ramsey, S. E., Stuart, G. L., et al. (2002). Evaluation of a behavioral measure of risk taking: the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8(2), 75–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luciana, M., Conklin, H. M., Hooper, C. J., & Yarger, R. S. (2005). The development of nonverbal working memory and executive control processes in adolescents. Child Development, 76(3), 697–712.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McComb, J. L., & Sabiston, C. M. (2010). Family influences on adolescent gambling behavior: A review of the literature. Journal of Gambling Studies, 26(4), 503–520.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Metzger, D. S., Koblin, B., Turner, C., Navaline, H., Valenti, F., Holte, S., et al. (2000). Randomized controlled trial of audio computer-assisted self-interviewing: Utility and acceptability in longitudinal studies. HIVNET Vaccine Preparedness Study Protocol Team. American Journal of Epidemiology, 152(2), 99–106.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nagin, D. S. (1999). Analyzing developmental trajectories: a semiparametric, group-based approach. Psychological Methods, 4(2), 139–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagin, D. S., & Tremblay, R. E. (2001). Analyzing developmental trajectories of distinct but related behaviors: A group-based method. Psychological Methods, 6(1), 18–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nower, L., Derevensky, J. L., & Gupta, R. (2004). The relationship of impulsivity, sensation seeking, coping, and substance use in youth gamblers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(1), 49–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pagani, L. S., Derevensky, J. L., & Japel, C. (2009). Predicting gambling behavior in sixth grade from Kindergarten impulsivity a tale of developmental continuity. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 163(3), 238–243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roca, M., Torralva, T., Lopez, P., Cetkovich, M., Clark, L., & Manes, F. (2008). Executive functions in pathologic gamblers selected in an ecologic setting. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 21(1), 1–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, D. (2003). Reducing adolescent risk toward an integrated approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romer, D., Betancourt, L. M., Brodsky, N. L., Giannetta, J. M., Yang, W., & Hurt, H. (2011). Does adolescent risk taking imply weak executive function? A prospective study of relations between working memory performance, impulsivity, and risk taking in early adolescence. Developmental Science, in press.

  • Romer, D., Betancourt, L., Giannetta, J. M., Brodsky, N. L., Farah, M., & Hurt, H. (2009). Executive cognitive functions and impulsivity as correlates of risk taking and problem behavior in preadolescents. Neuropsychologia, 47(13), 2916–2926.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, W., Eschman, A., & Zuccolotto, A. (2002). E-Prime user’s guide. Pittsburgh, PA: Psychology Software Tools, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L. (2008). A neurobehavioral perspective on adolescent risk-taking. Developmental Review, 28(1), 78–106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stinchfield, R. (2002). Reliability, validity, and classification accuracy of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Addictive Behaviors, 27(1), 1–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vachon, J., Vitaro, F., Wanner, B., & Tremblay, R. E. (2004). Adolescent gambling: relationships with parent gambling and parenting practices. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(4), 398–401.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vitaro, F., Arseneault, L., & Tremblay, R. E. (1999). Impulsivity predicts problem gambling in low SES adolescent males. Addiction, 94(4), 565–575.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vitaro, F., Ferland, F., Jacques, C., & Ladouceur, R. (1998). Gambling, substance use, and impulsivity during adolescence. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 12(3), 185–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2003). The Wechsler intelligence scale for children (4th ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M. C., & Hoffman, J. H. (2008). The prevalence of problem gambling among U.S. adolescents and young adults: results from a national survey. Journal of Gambling Studies, 24(2), 119–133.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winters, K. C., Stinchfield, R. D., Botzet, A., & Anderson, N. (2002). A prospective study of youth gambling behaviors. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16(1), 3–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The project described was supported by Grant Numbers R01DA018913 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and UL1-RR-024134 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market St., Room 1433, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Laura M. Betancourt, Nancy L. Brodsky, Caitlin A. Brown, Kathleen A. McKenna, Joan M. Giannetta & Hallam Hurt

  2. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Wei Yang

  3. Institute for Adolescent Risk/Annenberg Public Policy Center, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Daniel Romer

Authors
  1. Laura M. Betancourt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nancy L. Brodsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Caitlin A. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kathleen A. McKenna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Joan M. Giannetta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Wei Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Daniel Romer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hallam Hurt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura M. Betancourt.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Betancourt, L.M., Brodsky, N.L., Brown, C.A. et al. Is Executive Cognitive Function Associated with Youth Gambling?. J Gambl Stud 28, 225–238 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-011-9256-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-011-9256-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation