Abstract
The role of social factors in pathological gambling has received relatively little systematic research. The goal of the current
study was to examine the relationship between a target individual’s gambling behavior and the gambling behavior among that
individual’s parents, siblings and five closest friends. The specific aims were, first, to apply a novel brief assessment
to study the social density of factors relating to pathological gambling; second, to replicate previously observed findings
involving the social aggregation of alcohol and tobacco use; and third, to examine social density findings among the three
domains. Participants were 128 frequent gamblers from the Athens, Georgia area, 79.7 % male with a mean age of 34.2 (SD = 11.7).
Participants were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for Gambling Severity for gambling severity, the Alcohol Use Disorders
Identification Test for alcohol abuse, the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence for tobacco use, and the novel Brief
Social Density of Gambling, Alcohol, and Tobacco Assessment. Significant relationships were observed between participants’ and friends’ activity within all domains: gambling (ps = .001), alcohol use (p < .001) and tobacco use (p < .001). Relationships with friends’ activity across domains were less strong. Distinct patterns of associations with parents
and siblings were not observed. Thus, social aggregation was observed across the three domains of potentially addictive behaviors,
generally with specificity within domains and with friends, not biological relatives. Methodological considerations and potential
applications of these findings are discussed.
study was to examine the relationship between a target individual’s gambling behavior and the gambling behavior among that
individual’s parents, siblings and five closest friends. The specific aims were, first, to apply a novel brief assessment
to study the social density of factors relating to pathological gambling; second, to replicate previously observed findings
involving the social aggregation of alcohol and tobacco use; and third, to examine social density findings among the three
domains. Participants were 128 frequent gamblers from the Athens, Georgia area, 79.7 % male with a mean age of 34.2 (SD = 11.7).
Participants were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for Gambling Severity for gambling severity, the Alcohol Use Disorders
Identification Test for alcohol abuse, the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence for tobacco use, and the novel Brief
Social Density of Gambling, Alcohol, and Tobacco Assessment. Significant relationships were observed between participants’ and friends’ activity within all domains: gambling (ps = .001), alcohol use (p < .001) and tobacco use (p < .001). Relationships with friends’ activity across domains were less strong. Distinct patterns of associations with parents
and siblings were not observed. Thus, social aggregation was observed across the three domains of potentially addictive behaviors,
generally with specificity within domains and with friends, not biological relatives. Methodological considerations and potential
applications of these findings are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-14
- DOI 10.1007/s10899-012-9303-3
- Authors
- Erica E. Fortune, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
- James MacKillop, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
- Joshua D. Miller, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
- W. Keith Campbell, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
- Allan D. Clifton, Department of Psychology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Box 713, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0713, USA
- Adam S. Goodie, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
- Journal Journal of Gambling Studies
- Online ISSN 1573-3602
- Print ISSN 1050-5350