Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Push And Pull Of Nostalgia: Sentimental Longing In A Fundamental Component Of The Behavior Change Process, Michael J. A. Wohl, Mackenzie Dowson, Isabelle Bossom, Responsible Gambling Council, Nassim Tabri

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract: Behavior change is hard, and the recovery process is equally as challenging. Yet a paucity of research has been conducted on factors that motivated and undermine sustained behavior change. In this talk, we will discuss a growing body of work that suggests nostalgic reverie (i.e., sentimental longing) is a critical factor in both the behavior change and recovery process among people living with a gambling disorder. First, we will report the results of research (Study 1) that demonstrates nostalgic reverie for life before one’s problematic gambling behaviour facilitates behaviour change. We will then report the results of new research …

The Nuance Of Mindfulness Among Gamblers And Video Game Players: Empirical Findings From Latent Profile Analysis And Links To Intervention For Problem Gambling And Problem Video Gaming, Vivien Wen Li Anthony, Jackie Stanmyre, Devin Mills Ph.D, Lia Nower

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract: This presentation reviews two studies that investigate different profiles of gamblers and video gamers across five facets of mindfulness and nonattachment using latent profile analyses. Study 1 identified four profiles among 843 adults who gamble (59.9% male, Mage=39 years): High, Moderate and Low Mindfulness, as well as a Judgmentally Unaware profile, characterized by low levels of nonjudging and acting with awareness. Gamblers with the Judgmentally Unware profile demonstrated more frequent gambling, stronger gambling motivations and gambling-related cognitions, more severe problem gambling, and poorer mental health compared to other profiles. Study 2 identified a different four-profile model among 629 …

High Illusion Of Control Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Analyses Of The Effects Of Forms Of Counterfactual Thinking And Gender In Problem Gambling And Gaming, Larry Okechukwu Awo Dr., George Nzeadi Duru Mr.

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract

Three studies (Study 1, N = 322 male adolescents, Study 2, N = 401 male and female adolescents, and Study 3, longitudinal, N = 56 male and female adolescents) analyzed the effects cognitive and psychographic variables in the relationships among illusion of control (IC), problem gambling and problem gaming. Moderated mediation analyses results using PROCESS macro in the three studies confirmed: (1) the positive mediating effect of upward CFT in the association between IC and problem gambling and problem gaming; (2) the negative mediating effect of downward CFT in the association between IC and problem gambling and problem gaming; …

Demographic And Population Change In Mountain West Cities And Suburbs, 2020 Census, Zachary Billot, Saha Salahi, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines the five metro areas with populations exceeding one million in the Mountain West, drawing from the Brookings Institution report, “Today’s Suburbs are Symbolic of America’s Rising Diversity: A 2020 Census Portrait” by William Frey. Demographic data are included for both primary city and suburban portions for the major metros in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.

The Application Of Transactional Fairness To The Gambling Sector, Seamus Mcgowan, Adam Rivers

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The idea of ‘fairness’ in consumer protection has been discussed for a long time. However, more recently there has been a renewed focus on the use of unfair pricing practices and terms in consumer markets and regulators and lawmakers are responding. Practices which can be considered unfair often emerge as companies develop new and innovative ways to engage with consumers including offering different prices and / or terms to different sets of customers.

Being ‘fair and open’ is an important principle for gambling regulation. In that context, this paper focusses on fairness in gambling markets and seeks to develop a …

Understanding Who Is Calling A Problem Gambling Helpline: Data From The Florida Problem Gambling Helpline, Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Jennifer Kruse

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Many jurisdictions maintain a confidential helpline for problem gamblers and their loved ones. Dr. Derevensky will present the demographic characteristics and concerns of individuals calling the Florida Multilingual Helpline for Problem Gamblers. Specific attention will address the precipitating reasons for calling the HelpLine, gender, age and racial differences, the types of gambling most problematic, the age of onset of gambling problems, financial information (gambler’s income, money lost to gambling, to whom debts are owed), illegal acts committed by the gambler, legal consequences resulting from problem gambling, and the gambler’s mental health, emotional and domestic difficulties. Based upon the information provided …

Motivations For Loot Box Engagement In Video Games And Related Characteristics, Will Shead, Breanna Huggan

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Presentation Abstract: Loot boxes are features of some video games that contain random gameplay-enhancing or cosmetic items. Players may purchase loot boxes with real-world currency which has led to growing concern that loot boxes are a form gambling without regulations and age restrictions. Previous research has found associations between loot box purchases and problem gambling but limited work has examined possible factors involved in this relationship. One hundred and forty-four participants completed an online questionnaire assessing relationships between loot box use, problem gambling and gaming, and video game streaming behaviors. Bivariate correlations revealed no significant associations between risky loot box …

Safer Gambling Strategic Frameworks To Drive Collaborative And Coordinated Evidence-Based Action, Elizabeth Lusk, Jess Voll, Lindsay Kalbfleisch

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Reducing gambling-related harms at community, regional, national, and global levels requires evidence-informed, collaborative, and coordinated actions. Safer gambling strategic frameworks can identify and align stakeholders’ efforts to inspire and guide action. This is particularly salient with gambling being increasingly borderless with the proliferation of online gambling products and platforms. In the absence of safer gambling strategic frameworks, stakeholders’ efforts can be inconsistent or misguided, preventative opportunities are missed, social and economic costs are under accounted, and a competitive environment emerges when supportive and reifying efforts are more optimal. Safer gambling strategic frameworks create a rubric to continuously integrate emerging evidence, …

Mobile Free-To-Play Gaming Practices: The Entanglement Of Time, Technology And Games In Everyday Life, Jean-Philippe Laforge, Sylvia Kairouz, Annie-Claude Savard

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Mobile games have become a major part of many people's everyday life, especially since the rise of the Free-to-Play (F2P) model which brought mobile gaming to the fore of gaming culture. As a “new” cultural phenomenon, “playing” is now accessible anytime, in part due to the widespread availability of mobile technologies that host these games. Drawing from key concepts of the social practices theory, this study aims to explore how do mobile F2P games fit into the players’ everyday activities and occupations. Specifically, in what ways can time, mobile technologies and games shape the integration of gaming practices into the …

Similarities And Differences In Crypto Trading And Gambling Discourses And Practices: Why Should Scholars Of Gambling Be Interested?, Riitta Matilainen, Jani Kinnunen

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Cryptocurrency trading is an action of selling and/or buying of virtual or digital currencies for profit. The value of many cryptocurrencies has fluctuated greatly, which has led to enormous winnings and losses for some traders. The presentation focuses on the similarities and differences in discourses and practices towards crypto trading and gambling. In addition, the presentation discusses why scholars of gambling should pay closer attention to cryptocurrency trading and the consequences it may have for the gambling industry and regulation. Historical examples of previous divisions between gambling, finance, and speculation are also presented.

The presentation is based on an Internet …

Monetary Consumption In Gambling, Digital Gaming And Their Converged Forms: Findings From The Finnish Player Barometer 2022 Study, Jani Kinnunen

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

In the Finnish Player Barometer study gambling games and other types of games, including non-digital and digital game genres, are studied together. This nationally representative study differs from many other studies, which usually concentrate either on gambling or on other types of gaming. The study also includes many of converged forms between gambling and gaming.

Almost all Finns play games at least occasionally. In the year 2022, active digital gamers consumed on average 10,6 € per month on digital gaming, including online gambling. High monetary consumption in digital gaming seems to be connected in active gambling, but also those players, …

Using The Modified Delphi Method To Establish Consensus For Gambling Treatment Core Competencies, Greta Coe

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract:

Core competencies define the knowledge and skills believed to be necessary to practice within specific professional fields effectively and serve as benchmarks to guide professional preparation, supervision, and evaluation. In this presentation, we will share the results of a modified Delphi study when we asked the question, ‘‘What are the core competencies that problem gambling counsellors must master to be considered professionally prepared?’’ and relied on the collective wisdom of experts in the field to find an answer. Our study used 52 problem gambling treatment experts to reach consensus on gambling treatment core competencies. An expert was defined as …

Know When To Hold’Em Unpacking The Determinants Of Table Player Win / Loss And The Elasticity Of Table House Advantage, Clayton Peister

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Know when to hold’em

Unpacking the determinants of table player win / loss and the elasticity of table house advantage

Overview

There is significant disagreement about the role of house advantage (HA) in player value. For instance, the operations team often seek to introduce games with high HA, under the assumption that marginal improvements in HA translates into higher house win. By contrast, many casino marketing professionals argue that higher HA only reduces playtime and that a player’s budget is generally fixed. Leveraging over 300m individual player decisions from a major online Asian operator, we explore the role of HA …

Psychosocial Characteristics Of Gambling Addicts – Does It Matter When They Start Their Treatment?, Neven Ricijas Phd, Dora Dodig Hundric Phd, Sabina Mandic Ma, Sanja Radic Bursac Ma, Davor Bodor Phd

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract:

Gambling disorder is well known as a hidden addiction and therefore is subjected to a prolonged time in seeking treatment. During the development of addiction, the psychosocial functioning is more openly or covertly disrupted, and gambling addicts manifest various problems and risky behaviors. At the same time, motivational mechanism for seeking professional help are complex and influenced by different individual circumstances.

This study was conducted with N=315 patients in the Daily Clinic for Gambling Addiction. The psychosocial functioning of the patients is assessed at the beginning of the treatment, while a specific aim of this paper is to explore …

How Does The Responsible Gambling Discourse Shape The Mind Of Young Adult Gamblers?, Annie-Claude Savard, Jean-Philippe Laforge, Mélina Bouffard, Sylvia Kairouz

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The responsible gambling approach is the subject of significant debate in the scientific community due to its tendency to individualize responsibility, focusing most heavily on gambler’s responsibility for gambling-related harm. In the meantime, studies have showed that young adult gamble at a higher rate than the general adult population. They are now more than ever susceptible to being drawn in to gambling due to the availability of online gambling. In this context, this study aims to explore the social representations of the concept of responsibility held by young adult gamblers. How do they perceive the concept of responsibility? Do they …

Stake Size And Wagering In A Professional Betting Environment – When Data Affects Decision Making, Anthony Bedford, Tristan Barnett

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

In this work, we discuss the structure of a number of professional wagering organisations, and how they attempt to deal with the “Ender’s Game” effect – when knowledge of the true nature of the ‘war being wagered’ may have affected the process and choice of betting. We analyse the responses from professional wagering and betting organisations, whom operate predominately in Horseracing and sportsbetting, and they identify the importance of separation of decisions around choices to make and the stakes and size of wagers that are linked to the decisions. The proposed model, practically carried out by one company, is an …

Pareto Effects In The Ecasino: Differences Across Online Products And Links With Self-Exclusion, Xiaolei Deng, Luke Clark Dr

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Consumption of many goods adheres to the Pareto rule (or 80:20 law) that the 20% most engaged consumers generate 80% of revenue. Using a dataset from the eCasino section of the provincial online gambling platform in British Columbia, Canada, we recently observed that Pareto values exceeded the conventional 80:20 ratio, with the top 20% generating ~92% of bets and ~90% of revenue (Deng, Lesch & Clark, 2021 Addictive Behaviors 120: 106968). In this presentation, we will examine how these effects vary across different gambling product types within the eCasino: online slot machine games, table games, video poker, and other probability …

“Sports Gambling In America 2023: A Final Piece To The Puzzle?”, John Dombrink

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

No abstract provided.

Digital Job Growth In The Mountain West, 2002-2020, Lana Kojoian, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data from the Brookings Institution report, “As the Digitalization of Work Expands, Place-based Solutions Can Bridge the Gaps,” which explores information on digital job growth in the U.S. The original report contains the digitalization scores of each state from 2002 to 2020 as well as scores for specific occupations. This fact sheet focuses on the digital job growth for each state in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) and their metros.

In This Together: Challenges And Opportunities For Collaborative Health Sciences Collection Development, Ana Corral, Stefanie Lapka

Library Faculty Research

An ideal objective of collection management is the development of a library collection that meets the needs of users and in the case of university libraries, the academic and research needs of a campus community. But in today’s technology-driven, budget-conscious environment, collection development at academic health sciences libraries can present challenging issues for those responsible, especially librarians new to collection development or whose primary responsibilities are situated elsewhere. Issues include gaining familiarity with institutional collection development and purchasing processes, selector collaboration, managing multiple library locations, acquiring non-traditional material, and developing more diverse and inclusive collections.

This paper will present an …

Sex Trafficking In Southern Nevada, Julianna Jovillar

Student Research

Southern Nevada is facing a sex trafficking epidemic that continues to impact people in the state. Thus, in this brief, I investigate Southern Nevada’s sex trafficking crisis. Based on recent sex trafficking studies and the current legislature, it is apparent that although Southern Nevada is aware of the problem, more can still be done to stop it. As a result, this policy work explores sex trafficking in Southern Nevada, addresses stigmatization as a causal factor, provides political context, and offers policy recommendations related to child victim aid and protection to be considered for legislation.

Investigating Students’ Career-Readiness In The Agricultural Sciences: A Phenomenological Case Study, Jean A. Parrella, Holli R. Leggette, Theresa P. Murphrey, Christi Esquivel, Anna Bates

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The agricultural industry lacks qualified workers, suggesting students may not participate in opportunities that effectively develop their employability skills. We used a phenomenological case study approach to investigate Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students’ career-readiness and factors influencing career-readiness. We conducted interviews with 19 juniors and seniors. Open coding procedures revealed five emergent themes—Career Advice-Seeking Behavior,Employability Skills Development, Network Establishment, Relevant Experiences, and Personal Growth. Findings indicate that students do not take advantage of University resources to help them with career preparation. Findings also revealed a lack of employability skills development, especially relating to …

Teaching Information Literacy In Untrusting Times: Prioritize Research For Understanding (Not Just Knowledge), Mark N. Lenker Iii

Library Faculty Presentations

A recent Pew study suggests that trust in experts is declining, a trend that requires educators to reframe expectations for learning through research. Rather than emphasizing the characteristics of credible sources (which skeptics and partisans seem increasingly eager to dispute), information literacy teachers should redirect their efforts to prioritize research for a more thorough and realistic understanding of how sources relate to one another. We will review teaching practices in college-level instruction in information literacy and composition that promote and obscure understanding as a learning goal for research.

Participants will:

1. Test-drive a discussion exercise that they can use with their …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Eligibility And Access In Nevada, 2018-2020, Lana Kojoian, Annie Vong, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet examines data from the American Community Survey and Nevada administrative records exploring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and access rates for Nevada counties. The original report includes data on SNAP eligibility and access for 23 states from 2018 to 2020.

The Black Progress Index In Mountain West Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Msas), Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data from the Brookings Institution report, “Black Progress Index: Examining Social Factors That Influence Black Well-Being” authored by Andre Perry and Jonathan Rothwell in September 2022. The Black Progress Index (BPI) score is constructed using data and social factors that impact life expectancy for Black Americans. This fact sheet compares the BPI with the actual life expectancy of Black people in Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This fact sheet also examines each of the 13 variables included in the original report to present the BPI in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA.

Best And Worst States To Work In The Mountain West, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet explores workplace index rankings for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah from the 2022 Oxfam survey “The Best and Worst States to Work in America.”

Developmental Differences In School Climate Predictors Of Chronic School Absenteeism, Michael Fensken

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School attendance problems (SAPs) represent a critical developmental challenge for youth. SAPs represent a spectrum from difficulties attending school despite complete school attendance to complete absence. Ongoing SAPs can lead to chronic absenteeism, which may be defined as missing 8.3–10.0% (15–18 days) of school in an academic year. However, debate exists over the utility of a demarcation for chronic absenteeism. A shortcoming of cutoffs to defining problematic chronic absenteeism is that demographic, academic, symptom, and family variables are not delineated clearly. Yet, the present intervention frameworks (e.g., multi-tiered systems of supports models; MTSS) rely on clear delineations of such variables …

Gender Differences In Internalizing Problems And Everyday Behaviors Associated With Executive Function In Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hiroko Mullner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience internalizing problems, and there was evidence suggesting that poor executive function (EF) predicted their internalizing problems. However, this association was primarily found in studies with male children with ASD. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate gender differences in internalizing problems and everyday EF in ASD children (age 5-15) and examined the associations between internalizing problems and everyday EF.Method: This study examined neuropsychological assessment data of ASD children without intellectual disability. The study consisted of two groups: 1. ASD boys (n = 44), 2. ASD girls (n = 15). The study …

Telehealth In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Saghi Nassrouie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Description: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is an epidemic that has many factors involved in its management to maintain control. Patients with DM2 require routine evaluations and blood work to provide comprehensive care. COVID-19 caused major shifts in traditional care which sparked an increase in the utilization of technology like telehealth. Telehealth can be an effective tool used to manage diabetes and help attain better glucose control, but its effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic warrants further investigation.Purpose: The purpose of this project was to determine if telehealth visits were more effective in reducing Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in adult patients with …

The Effect Of Sleep And Emotion On Pattern Separation, Alanna N. Osmanski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prior work on the relationship between sleep and memory suggests that the sleep state is an optimal time for memory consolidation to occur. During slow wave sleep, newly encoded information in the hippocampus is repeatedly activated, driven by slow oscillations that originate in the neocortex. This process that occurs during slow wave sleep facilitates the long-term storage of memories. A widely accepted view of emotion and sleep is that emotional memories are preferentially consolidated during sleep so that they are easily accessible for retrieval, whereas neutral memories tend to be less accessible. However, recent meta-analyses of sleep, emotion, and memory …