Cognitive processes, in particular, erroneous
beliefs surrounding gambling outcomes and abilities, are thought to play an
important role in the development and maintenance of disordered gambling
behaviours. The current study investigated the impact of erroneous
gambling-related cognitions on gambling severity and intentions to gamble,
trialling a brief, online cognitive intervention designed to reduce
gambling-related cognitions and intentions to gamble. One hundred and twenty
one participants were randomly allocated to either an educational intervention
condition or an alternative intervention (control condition). Participants in
the educational intervention condition showed larger reductions in
gambling-related cognitions than did participants in the control condition. The
educational intervention significantly reduced erroneous cognitions from pre to
post treatment, with effectiveness of the intervention increasing in those
exhibiting more severe gambling behaviours.
Cite this paper
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