Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers
Abstract Introduction Empirical studies have demonstrated the role that attentional bias, the mutual excitatory relationship between attentional bias and craving, and mentalizing play in problem gambling. Although problem gambling rates among older-aged adults have steadily increased in recent years...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01651-7 |
| _version_ | 1797246962859245568 |
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| author | Maria Ciccarelli Barbara Pizzini Mark D. Griffiths Marina Cosenza Giovanna Nigro Francesca D’Olimpio |
| author_facet | Maria Ciccarelli Barbara Pizzini Mark D. Griffiths Marina Cosenza Giovanna Nigro Francesca D’Olimpio |
| author_sort | Maria Ciccarelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Empirical studies have demonstrated the role that attentional bias, the mutual excitatory relationship between attentional bias and craving, and mentalizing play in problem gambling. Although problem gambling rates among older-aged adults have steadily increased in recent years, research studies among this cohort are scarce. The present study is the first to empirically investigate attentional bias, as well as the joint role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gamblers. Method Thirty-six male older-aged gamblers were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) to assess gambling severity, craving levels, and mentalizing, respectively. Participants also performed a modified Posner Task to investigate attentional biases. Results Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that among older-aged male gamblers, GACS Anticipation and RFQ-8 Uncertainty about mental states, as well as disengagement bias at 100 ms, significantly predicted gambling severity. Conclusion The present study provides the first empirical support for the role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gambling. More specifically, a difficult in disengaging attention away from gambling, the anticipation of pleasure deriving from gambling, and hypomentalizing predicted gambling severity among older-aged gamblers. The findings make an important contribution, by identifying the factors responsible for problem gambling among this specific age cohort and suggesting that timely interventions for mentalizing and attentional bias may be necessary to prevent problem gambling in old age. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:51:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1e7d7bf22fc4772b03f0fce72fbb442 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:51:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1e7d7bf22fc4772b03f0fce72fbb4422024-03-24T12:37:40ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832024-03-011211910.1186/s40359-024-01651-7Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblersMaria Ciccarelli0Barbara Pizzini1Mark D. Griffiths2Marina Cosenza3Giovanna Nigro4Francesca D’Olimpio5Department of Psychology, Università degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Università Giustino FortunatoPsychology Department, Nottingham Trent UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Università degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Psychology, Università degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Psychology, Università degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Abstract Introduction Empirical studies have demonstrated the role that attentional bias, the mutual excitatory relationship between attentional bias and craving, and mentalizing play in problem gambling. Although problem gambling rates among older-aged adults have steadily increased in recent years, research studies among this cohort are scarce. The present study is the first to empirically investigate attentional bias, as well as the joint role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gamblers. Method Thirty-six male older-aged gamblers were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) to assess gambling severity, craving levels, and mentalizing, respectively. Participants also performed a modified Posner Task to investigate attentional biases. Results Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that among older-aged male gamblers, GACS Anticipation and RFQ-8 Uncertainty about mental states, as well as disengagement bias at 100 ms, significantly predicted gambling severity. Conclusion The present study provides the first empirical support for the role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gambling. More specifically, a difficult in disengaging attention away from gambling, the anticipation of pleasure deriving from gambling, and hypomentalizing predicted gambling severity among older-aged gamblers. The findings make an important contribution, by identifying the factors responsible for problem gambling among this specific age cohort and suggesting that timely interventions for mentalizing and attentional bias may be necessary to prevent problem gambling in old age.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01651-7GamblingOlder-aged gamblingAttentional biasDisengagement biasCravingMentalizing |
| spellingShingle | Maria Ciccarelli Barbara Pizzini Mark D. Griffiths Marina Cosenza Giovanna Nigro Francesca D’Olimpio Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers BMC Psychology Gambling Older-aged gambling Attentional bias Disengagement bias Craving Mentalizing |
| title | Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers |
| title_full | Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers |
| title_fullStr | Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers |
| title_short | Attentional disengagement, craving, and mentalizing: a preliminary experimental study among older-aged male gamblers |
| title_sort | attentional disengagement craving and mentalizing a preliminary experimental study among older aged male gamblers |
| topic | Gambling Older-aged gambling Attentional bias Disengagement bias Craving Mentalizing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01651-7 |
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