title: The efficacy of a modified Theory of Reasoned Action to explain gambling behavior in college students.
abstract: Recently, Thrasher et al. (College Student Affairs Journal 27(1): 57-75, 2007) explored the efficacy of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Ajzen and Fishbein, Attitudes, personality, and behavior, 1980) in explaining gambling behavior of college students. However, their study found the TRA only predicted small amounts of variance in gambling intentions. Heeding their call to enhance the efficacy of the TRA through the addition of explanatory variables to the model, the present study incorporated gambling motivations and locus of control as moderating variables within the TRA to test the potential of a modified TRA in explaining gambling behavior of college students. A total of 345 students at a major metropolitan research university in the Midwest volunteered to participate in the study. A series of hierarchical linear regressions indicated intrinsic motivation to accomplish (p = .002) significantly moderated the relationship between gambling attitudes and gambling intentions. Further, internal locus of control (p < .001), chance locus of control (p < .001), and powerful others locus of control (p < .001) also significantly moderated the relationship between gambling attitudes and gambling intentions. The significant impact of the moderating variables on the relationship between gambling attitudes and intentions suggests intrinsic motivation and locus of control can alter the impact of the relationship between gambling attitudes and gambling intentions.
authors.affiliation: College of Health and Human Services, Troy University, 153 College View, Troy, AL 36082, USA.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thrasher
authors.forename: Damon P S
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Mahony
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1993 Mar;162:407-12
references.pmid: 8453438
references.citation: J Clin Psychol. 1998 Oct;54(6):763-71
references.pmid: 9783655
references.citation: Psychol Monogr. 1966;80(1):1-28
references.pmid: 5340840
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 1991 Mar;7(1):5-39
references.pmid: 24242968
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 2004 Winter;20(4):319-45
references.pmid: 15577271
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986 Dec;51(6):1173-82
references.pmid: 3806354
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 1997 Autumn;13(3):207-36
references.pmid: 12913387
references.citation: Adv Consum Res. 1993;20:292-6
references.pmid: 12345288
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 2000 Spring;16(1):93-101
references.pmid: 14634323
references.citation: J Am Coll Health. 2003 Sep-Oct;52(2):53-62
references.pmid: 14765759
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 1987 Sep;144(9):1184-8
references.pmid: 3631315
references.citation: Behav Modif. 1994 Apr;18(2):230-42
references.pmid: 8002927
references.citation: Mol Gen Genet. 1989 Nov;219(3):474-9
references.pmid: 2516240
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 2002 Spring;18(1):45-66
references.pmid: 12050847
references.citation: J Soc Psychol. 1990 Apr;130(2):141-50
references.pmid: 2342343
references.citation: J Gambl Stud. 1998 Spring;14(1):17-49
references.pmid: 12766433
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2003 May;112(2):263-74
references.pmid: 12784836
references.citation: J Gen Intern Med. 2002 Sep;17(9):721-32
references.pmid: 12220370