title: Comparison of impulsivity in non-problem, at-risk and problem gamblers.
abstract: As a non-substance addiction, gambling disorder represents the model for studying the neurobiology of addiction without toxic consequences of chronic drug use. From a neuropsychological perspective, impulsivity is deemed as a potential construct responsible in the onset and development of drug addiction. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between impulsivity and gambling status in young adults with varying severity of gambling. A sample of 1120 college students, equally divided into non-problem, at-risk and problem gamblers, were administered multiple measures of impulsivity including the UPPSP Impulsive Behaviors Scale (UPPSP), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Delay-discounting Test (DDT). Compared with non-problem gamblers, both at-risk gamblers and problem gamblers displayed elevated scores on Negative Urgency, Positive Urgency, Motor Impulsiveness, and Attentional Impulsiveness. Problem gamblers showed higher scores than at-risk gamblers on Positive Urgency. Logistic regression models revealed that only Negative Urgency positively predicted both at-risk gambling and problem gambling compared to non-problem gambling. These results suggest that dimensions of impulsivity may be differentially linked to gambling behavior in young adults, with Negative Urgency putatively identified as an important impulsivity-related marker for the development of gambling disorder, which may provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, School of Medical Humanitarians, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China.|Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Wan-Sen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, School of Medical Humanitarians, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China.
authors.forename: Ran-Ran
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, School of Medical Humanitarians, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult