University of Twente Student Theses

Login

Implicit Associations in Poker Players: An Explorative Study

Kugler, Dimitrij (2013) Implicit Associations in Poker Players: An Explorative Study.

[img] PDF
629kB
Abstract:Poker is commonly allocated in the DSM category for gambling addiction. However, taking a deeper look at poker playing reveals significant differences with respect to other games of chance, in that a skill component is present in the game. This involvement of skill has so far been completely neglected in the operationalization and assessment of pathological forms of poker. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon, a new developed poker assessment scale and an implicit association test have been compared to a conventionally used gambling addiction scale. To this end, 15 regular poker players have been compared to 15 non-poker players in a prospective cohort-study, with implicit and explicit attitudes being measured at the first measurement point and the poker- as well as the gambling addiction scale being inquired on both points of measurement. The obtained results indicate that poker players hold more positive implicit associations towards poker than non-poker players do. Furthermore, implicit associations as well as the scores on the poker assessment scale turned out to be significant predictors of the amount of time spent on playing poker 18 days after the first point of measurement. The poker assessment scale was even able to add significant explaining value to the conventionally used gambling addiction scale in the variance of the amount of time spent on playing poker. Also, preliminary results suggest that implicit associations are able to add explaining value to a conventionally administered gambling addiction scale with respect to the variance in the amount of time spend on playing poker. The comparison between implicit and explicit attitudes showed that explicit cognitions were able to explain a profound amount of the variance in both the gambling addiction- and poker related assessment scale. In both cases implicit attitudes were incapable of accounting for an added proportion of explained variability. Theoretical, as well as, practical implications of the findings are discussed. Furthermore, limitations of the present study are highlighted and recommendations for possible follow-up research are given.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/64107
Export this item as:BibTeX
EndNote
HTML Citation
Reference Manager

 

Repository Staff Only: item control page