Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling

Objective: To examine the relationship between loss-chasing, the propensity to continue gambling to recover from losses, alexithymia, a personality trait associated poor emotional processing and impulsivity, the tendency to act quickly without reflection or consideration of the consequences. Meth...

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Main Author: Bibby, Peter A.
Format: Article
Published: Frontiers Media 2016
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32588/
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author Bibby, Peter A.
author_facet Bibby, Peter A.
author_sort Bibby, Peter A.
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description Objective: To examine the relationship between loss-chasing, the propensity to continue gambling to recover from losses, alexithymia, a personality trait associated poor emotional processing and impulsivity, the tendency to act quickly without reflection or consideration of the consequences. Method: Two experiments are reported (E1: N = 60, Males, 11; Age, 21.6 years. E2: N = 49, Males, 22; Age, 21.1 years). In experiment 1, two groups (low alexithymia, high alexithymia) completed the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT). Loss-chasing behavior was investigated. In experiment 2, both alexithymia (low, high) and impulsivity (low, high) were examined also using the CGT. A further change was the order of bet proportion from ascending to descending. Results: Experiment 1 shows loss-chasing behavior in participants high in alexithymia but not those low in alexithymia (ηp2 = 0.09). Experiment 2 shows loss-chasing behavior in participants both low and high in alexithymia but it was greater for participants high in alexithymia (ηp2 = 0.09). The effect of impulsivity was not statistically significant (ηp2 = 0.01). Loss-chasing behavior was correlated with the emotional facets of alexithymia but not the cognitive facet. Conclusions: Alexithymia is a precursor to loss-chasing when gambling and loss-chasing reflects the cognitive and emotional aspects of gambling. Specifically, the tendency to loss-chase depends on the need to recoup previous losses and failure to process the emotional consequences of those losses
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spelling nottingham-325882020-05-04T17:30:45Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32588/ Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling Bibby, Peter A. Objective: To examine the relationship between loss-chasing, the propensity to continue gambling to recover from losses, alexithymia, a personality trait associated poor emotional processing and impulsivity, the tendency to act quickly without reflection or consideration of the consequences. Method: Two experiments are reported (E1: N = 60, Males, 11; Age, 21.6 years. E2: N = 49, Males, 22; Age, 21.1 years). In experiment 1, two groups (low alexithymia, high alexithymia) completed the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT). Loss-chasing behavior was investigated. In experiment 2, both alexithymia (low, high) and impulsivity (low, high) were examined also using the CGT. A further change was the order of bet proportion from ascending to descending. Results: Experiment 1 shows loss-chasing behavior in participants high in alexithymia but not those low in alexithymia (ηp2 = 0.09). Experiment 2 shows loss-chasing behavior in participants both low and high in alexithymia but it was greater for participants high in alexithymia (ηp2 = 0.09). The effect of impulsivity was not statistically significant (ηp2 = 0.01). Loss-chasing behavior was correlated with the emotional facets of alexithymia but not the cognitive facet. Conclusions: Alexithymia is a precursor to loss-chasing when gambling and loss-chasing reflects the cognitive and emotional aspects of gambling. Specifically, the tendency to loss-chase depends on the need to recoup previous losses and failure to process the emotional consequences of those losses Frontiers Media 2016-01-20 Article PeerReviewed Bibby, Peter A. (2016) Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling. Frontiers in Psychology, 7 . 3/1-3/13. ISSN 1664-1078 loss-chasing alexithymia impulsivity gambling http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00003/abstract doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00003 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00003
spellingShingle loss-chasing
alexithymia
impulsivity
gambling
Bibby, Peter A.
Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title_full Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title_fullStr Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title_full_unstemmed Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title_short Loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
title_sort loss-chasing, alexithymia, and impulsivity in a gambling task: alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing behavior when gambling
topic loss-chasing
alexithymia
impulsivity
gambling
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32588/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32588/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32588/