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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Urge To Gamble In Problem Gamblers Exposed To A Casino Environment, Matt G. Kushner, Kenneth Abrams, Christopher Donahue, Paul Thuras, Randy Frost, Suck Won Kim
Urge To Gamble In Problem Gamblers Exposed To A Casino Environment, Matt G. Kushner, Kenneth Abrams, Christopher Donahue, Paul Thuras, Randy Frost, Suck Won Kim
Faculty Work
Cue-reactivity has received increased attention in addiction research, though not for gambling in particular. We examined cue reactivity in 18 problem gamblers by accompanying them to a gaming casino and measuring their subjective urge to gamble over a 1-h period. Half of the sample was additionally exposed to a gambling-specific negative mood induction (NMI) manipulation via guided imagery. Overall, about two-thirds of the sample reported moderate to high-gambling urges during the casino exposure. Additionally, the NMI reduced cue-reactivity. Finally, gambling urges in both groups decreased over the course of the exposure sessions. These findings suggest that a majority of problem …