Do The Risk Factors For Pathological Gambling Predict Temporal Discounting?

Authors

Jeffrey N. Weatherly, University of North Dakota
Adam Derenne, University of North Dakota
Samantha Chase, University of North Dakota

Abstract

Weatherly and Dixon (2007) proposed that gambling was related to the increase in how individuals discount delayed (monetary) consequences and that several of the known risk factors for pathological gambling may serve as establishing operations or setting events that lead to such changes. The present study tested these predictions by having participants complete a paper-and-pencil discount-ing task involving hypothetical monetary consequences and determining wheth-er self-reported measures of the known risk factors would significantly predict participants’ rate of discounting. None of the risk factors served as significant predictors of discounting. Interestingly, however, the rate of discounting varied systematically as a function of the number of preference reversals participants displayed at particular delays. The present findings suggest that, if Weatherly and Dixon’s proposal is correct, then it likely needs to be assessed using a more diverse sample than college freshmen. The results also suggest that measures of discounting may vary systematically as a function of procedure, which may call for a reevaluation of how discounting data are interpreted.

Recommended Citation

Weatherly, Jeffrey N.; Derenne, Adam; and Chase, Samantha (2008) "Do The Risk Factors For Pathological Gambling Predict Temporal Discounting?," Analysis of Gambling Behavior: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/agb/vol2/iss1/3