College Students and Gambling: An Examination of Gender Differences in Motivation for Participation.

The current research is among the first to examine whether gender or the level of competitiveness affects a person's motivation to gamble. One hundred fifty two participants completed a scale to measure whether they were intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to gamble (Gambling Motivation Scale) and a scale to measure their level of competitiveness (Hypercompetitiveness Attitude Scale). As hypothesized, results indicate men scored higher than women on intrinsic motivations for gambling. However, no gender differences were found for extrinsic motivation in gambling. Participants with high-competitive scores (male and female) were more likely to have higher intrinsic and higher extrinsic motivations for gambling. ********** In 1974, and again in 1980, 80% of adult Americans surveyed expressed a favorable interest in seeing legalized gambling of some kind in their state of residence (Moran, 1997). This apparent moral acceptance of gambling has been reflected by the tremendous growth rate of legalized gambling venues across America during the last 25 years. Forty-eight states have legalized at least one form of gambling (Moran, 1997). In 1995, $500 billion was legally exchanged in some form of gambling in the United States, representing nearly a 3000% increase over figures reported in 1975 ($17.4 billion) (Netemeyer et al., 1998). The increase in popularity and availability of gambling raises concern among mental health professionals who have observed that perhaps as high as 3% of the adult population meet the diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling [American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1994; Morrison, 1995]. That is, up to 3% of the adult population exhibits gambling behavior that interferes with personal, family, and professional relationships. A 1989 Gallup poll revealed that of the adult population who reported they had gambled during the previous 12-month period, 70% reported having gambled three or more times per week, with as many as 6% considered probable "compulsive gamblers" (Netemeyer, et al., 1998). Pathological gamblers generally show the following characteristics: being obsessed with the thought of gambling; telling lies to family, friends, or employers; and wagering increasingly larger amounts in an attempt to make up losses (termed "chasing") (APA, 1994). Additionally, an association with crime has also been widely reported as a characteristic of the pathological gambler (APA, 1994; Meyer & Stadler, 1999; Netemeyer et al., 1998; Vitaro, Arseneault, & Tremblay, 1999). In his classic study, Lesieur (1984) reported that many people view gambling as an opportunity to briefly forget about their troubles and have fun. However, for the pathological gambler, gambling ceases being an effective coping mechanism for dealing with the stressors of their world. These gamblers often find themselves having to emotionally deal with not only the issues that led them to gamble in the first place (e.g., impulsivity, financial problems) but also with the negative consequences of their gambling (e.g., strained personal and professional relationships, loss of employment, legal issues) (Gaudia, 1987; Lesieur, 1984; Rosenthal, 1992). In short, the pathological gambler loses his or her ability to gamble responsibly. One way to understand what drives so many people to gamble is to examine both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for participation. For example, does an individual gamble to have a good time or to learn something new (intrinsic motivation) or to gain a monetary reward (extrinsic motivation)? A 1989 Gallup survey reported 39% of gambling participants questioned confirmed they gambled "to have a good time" while 27% stated their involvement was for monetary gain (Gallup, 1990). Some who gamble claim to do so primarily due to intrinsic motivation, while others are primarily extrinsically motivated (Chantal & Vallerand, 1995; Feldman, 1996). Thus, an individual's primary underlying driving force could be indicative of both their level and frequency of gambling involvement. …