title: The four Es of problem gambling: a psychological measure of risk.
abstract: A focus group of Reno area Gamblers Anonymous members identified four psychological traits contributing to risk for problem gambling, including: Escape, Esteem, Excess and Excitement. A panel of four experts authored 240 Likert-type items to measure these traits. By design, none of the items explicitly referred to gambling activities. Study 1 narrowed the field of useful items by employing a quasi-experimental design which compared the answers of Reno area Gamblers Anonymous members (N = 39) to a control sample (N = 34). Study 2 submitted successful items, plus new items authored with the knowledge gained from Study 1, to validation in a random sample telephone survey across Queensland, Australia (N=2577). The final 40 item Four Es scale (4Es) was reliable (alpha=.90); predicted gambling problems as measured by the Canadian Problem Gambling Index of Severity (PGSI, Ferris & Wynne (2001). The Canadian Problem Gambling Index: Final Report: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse); and distinguished problem gamblers from persons with alcohol abuse problems. The new scale can provide a basis for further study in harm minimization, treatment, and theory development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Sociology, Central Queensland University, 4702, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. m.rockloff@cqu.edu.au
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rockloff
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009505:Nevada; D011594:Psychometrics; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*