Abstract
We recruited a sample of university student gamblers (n = 48) to complete a web-based battery of instruments in a study designed
to assess the impact of imagery-based versus photographic cue exposure on acute craving to gamble using the multi-item Gambling
Urge Scale (GUS; Raylu and Oei 2004). Although self-reported craving increased following both forms of cue exposure, the imagery script had a more pronounced
impact than did examination of photographs of gambling-related stimuli. We also evaluated the association of the post-cue
exposure GUS with other relevant measures, and found it correlated highly both with other questionnaires assessing craving
to gamble and with other gambling-relevant characteristics (e.g., gambling-related problems, preoccupation with gambling,
distorted gambling beliefs, gambling refusal self-efficacy, sensation seeking), but was not associated with social desirability
bias. These findings support the use of the GUS—a brief multi-item scale that shows several key elements of construct, convergent,
criterion and discriminant validity—to study the experience of craving in university student gamblers.
to assess the impact of imagery-based versus photographic cue exposure on acute craving to gamble using the multi-item Gambling
Urge Scale (GUS; Raylu and Oei 2004). Although self-reported craving increased following both forms of cue exposure, the imagery script had a more pronounced
impact than did examination of photographs of gambling-related stimuli. We also evaluated the association of the post-cue
exposure GUS with other relevant measures, and found it correlated highly both with other questionnaires assessing craving
to gamble and with other gambling-relevant characteristics (e.g., gambling-related problems, preoccupation with gambling,
distorted gambling beliefs, gambling refusal self-efficacy, sensation seeking), but was not associated with social desirability
bias. These findings support the use of the GUS—a brief multi-item scale that shows several key elements of construct, convergent,
criterion and discriminant validity—to study the experience of craving in university student gamblers.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10899-011-9262-0
- Authors
- Lisham Ashrafioun, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
- Amy McCarthy, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
- Harold Rosenberg, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
- Journal Journal of Gambling Studies
- Online ISSN 1573-3602
- Print ISSN 1050-5350