Social Influence When Males Gamble: Perceptions and Behavior

Authors

Jeffrey N. Weatherly, University of North DakotaFollow
Brittany Bushaw, University of North Dakota
Ellen Meier, University of North Dakota

Abstract

Experiment 1 tested whether the gambling behavior of 12 non-pathological male participants would be altered by the presence and/or gender of a confederate who also gambled and whether participants’ self reports would match their actual behavior. Results showed that although actual gambling behavior did not vary as a function of the presence or gender of a confederate, participants reported that it did. Experiment 2 tested whether the gambling behavior of nine non-pathological males would be altered by the presence of a confederate and/or whether the confederate won or lost. Results showed that the presence of the confederate increased gambling, but whether the confederate won or lost did not influence participants’ gambling behavior. As in Experiment 1, participants’ self reports did not match their actual behavior; participants reported no influence of the confederate. The present study sheds light on the situations in which the presence of other gamblers may influence gambling behavior. They also suggest that conclusions based on self reports of gambling should be made with caution as they may not accurately represent actual behavior.

Recommended Citation

Weatherly, Jeffrey N.; Bushaw, Brittany; and Meier, Ellen (2009) "Social Influence When Males Gamble: Perceptions and Behavior," Analysis of Gambling Behavior: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 1.
Available at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/agb/vol3/iss2/1