Cue-specific reactivity in experienced gamblers.
Open accessAbstract
To examine whether gambling cue reactivity is cue-specific, 47 scratch-off lottery players and 47 horse race gamblers were presented with video clips of their preferred and nonpreferred modes of gambling, and two control stimuli including an exciting car race and a mental stressor task while heart rates, excitement, and urge to gamble were being measured. Heart rates for both groups of gamblers were highest to the mental stressor and did not differ in response to the other three cues. Excitement for both groups was highest in response to the action cues (horse race and car chase). Urge to gamble was significantly higher for each group to their preferred mode of gambling. A post hoc exploratory analysis comparing social gamblers (n = 54) and probable pathological gamblers (n = 40) revealed a similar pattern of responses. However, pathological gamblers reported overall significantly higher urges to gamble than social gamblers. As urges have been shown to play a pivotal role in addictive behaviors and relapse, the current findings may have implications for the development of gambling problems and relapse after successful treatment.
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Individuals with gambling pathology show elevated craving, urges to gamble, physiological, and neurological reactivity to cues associated with gambling.
“For example, individuals with gambling pathology show elevated craving, urges to gamble, physiological, and neurological reactivity to cues associated with gambling (Goudriaan, Yucel, & van Holst, 2014; van Holst et al., 2012; Wulfert et al., 2009).”
From Cued for Risk: Evidence for an Incentive Sensitization Framework to Explain the Interplay between Stress and Anxiety, Substance Abuse, and Reward Uncertainty in Disordered Gambling Behavior (2019) · cites this paper as Wulfert et al., 2009
Cue reactivity is heightened amongst individuals with problematic gambling and gambling behavior.
“Various studies support that cue reactivity is heightened amongst individuals with problematic gambling and gambling behavior (Hønsi, Mentzoni, Molde, & Pallesen, 2012; Thalemann, Wölfling, & Grüsser, 2007; Wulfert et al., 2009).”
From Cued for Risk: Evidence for an Incentive Sensitization Framework to Explain the Interplay between Stress and Anxiety, Substance Abuse, and Reward Uncertainty in Disordered Gambling Behavior (2019) · cites this paper as Wulfert et al., 2009
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- Authors
- Wulfert, E., Maxson, J., & Jardin, B.
- Affiliations
- State University of New York (US)
- University at Albany, State University of New York (US)
- ORCID
- Wulfert, Edelgard
- Venue
- Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 731-735
- ISSN
- 0893-164X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1501
- PMC
- PMC2804265
- OpenAlex
- W2139825174
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH064568)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- cue specificity, gambling urges, heart rate, excitement, social gambling, gambling addiction, relapse
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Analysis of Variance, Cues, Female, Gambling, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Photic Stimulation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Socioeconomic Factors, Chi-Square Distribution, Behavior, Addictive
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