*Tutorial 6 - Addictive Behaviours

Question 1

Why is it important to develop a model of pathological gambling that acknowledges different subgroups?

Answer 1

Different ways of thinking - different CBT, causes/treatments

Question 2

What are the 3 main pathways/subgroups of problem gamblers.

Answer 2

1. The behaviourally conditioned gambler
2. The emotionally vulnerable gambler
3. The antisocial, impulsivist gambler

Question 3

Describe the behaviourally conditioned gambler.

Answer 3

• Characterized by a motivation for excitement and winning and get addicted to gambling due to this.
• They enter gambling at any age and often to do exposure after family and peers.
• They fluctuate between regular and excessive gambling because of the effects of classical and operant conditioning.
• They have a normal childhood and have no prior history of psychopathology that pre-dates the gambling.
• Rather than impaired cognitive control they have poor judgment and distorted cognitions leading to overestimation of the probabilities of winning, and they are motivated to chase losses due to financial problems.
• Psychological problems such as depression and substance abuse are a consequence of the gambling.
• Brief interventions such as CBT and counseling with psychoeducation are the most effective as these individuals have a high motivation for treatment and comply with instructions.

Question 4

Describe the emotionally vulnerable gambler.

Answer 4

‘Emotionally vulnerable’ problem gamblers who have the same conditioning and cognitive processes, but

• gamble to escape emotional stress and are
• often sensation seeking and prone to boredom.
• Try to win money to avoid and prolong the dissociative state.
• premorbid anxiety (due to hyperarousal) or depression (hypoarousal)
• a history of poor coping and problem solving skills and dysfunctional family and childhood disturbances.
• They have a serotonin/dopamine biological vulnerability.
• Treatment is more complex than for 1, and includes the enhancement of stress management and coping skills as well as addressing the gambling behaviour.

Question 5

Describe the biologically based/antisocial-impulsive gambler.

Answer 5

• have neurochemical dysfunctions (serotonin/dopamine biological and often ADHD) which result in high levels of impulsivity and maladaptive behaviours such as risk taking, substance abuse, crime and suicidality.
• Gambling occurs at an early age and rapidly escalates in severity.
• They have poor interpersonal relationships and a family history of alcoholism and antisocial behaviours.
• They have less motivation for treatment and have poor compliance rates, as a result treatment outcomes are often poor- treatment involves intensive psychological interventions as well as pharmacotherapy to decrease impulsivity.
• may be manic, have antisocial personality disorder, ADHD, and don’t do a lot of consequential thinking

Question 6

How could this model inform the treatment of pathological gambling?

Answer 6

CBT, deal with the negative belief/understandings surrounding gambling, teach them about their cognitive biases

none of these categories are absolute.

Address problems underlying it, like anxiety/depression (premorbid conditions/issues)

Last one: drugs, psycho-stimulents if they have ADHD, anything that flattens the affect

Question 7

FIX CARD

In the documentary "No more bets please": Overcoming problem gambling, which subgroup did each of these people belong to:
Simon
Marlene
Annie
Terry

Answer 7

Simon: ‘has to continue’ - social, first time winner, thought had system worked out, sense of achievement, behaviourally conditioned, type 3- been in jail

Marlene didnt want to leave-escapism? type 2 - emotionally vulnerable or behavioural conditioned because upset out losing money

Annie, Defs emotional - backward thinking from what therapist gave her. experiences an impulse when life gets tough

Terry..2? not sure have to check

Question 8

FIX CARD

If you were interviewing their cases, what questions would you ask to whom to ascertain which subgroup they fell into?

Answer 8

NEED HALP

Question 9

Describe what illusion of control is

Answer 9

Belief and over magnification of one’s skill and ability to influence or predict the outcome of an event

Question 10

gambler’s fallacy

Answer 10

a series of losses must be followed by a win, when, in fact, the chances of winning / losing remains the same each play

Question 11

biased evaluation

Answer 11

successful outcomes are attributed to one’s skill, losses are discounted as due to unforseen external reasons

Question 12

selective recall

Answer 12

selectively recalling wins and forgetting losses

Question 13

cognitive regret

aka sub cost fallacy

Answer 13

having invested considerable time and money in a session, a sense of regret at missing out on the next, potentially winning gamble

Question 14

superstitious beliefs

Answer 14

use of “lucky” charms, objects, prayers, or rituals to “improve” the chances of winning

Question 15

luck as a person quality

Answer 15

believing one has a special “lucky” quality. May have cultural associations etc.

Question 16

gambling as a source of income

Answer 16

The belief that one can win at gambling - that is, in the long term, one can come out ahead

Question 17

illusory correlations

Answer 17

misinterpretation of a correlation between mutually independent events

Question 18

FIX CARD

Which subtype of gambler is likely to have which cognitive bias?

Answer 18

1. The behaviourally conditioned gambler:
   gambling as a source of income?
2. The emotionally vulnerable gambler
3. The antisocial, impulsivist gambler

Question 19

FIX CARD

Answer 19

notes from set reading