Alcohol and Gambling Behavior
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Final Report Abstract
This project involved three subprojects on the self-regulation of alcohol use and gambling. In the first project, we examined whether acute alcohol intake either increases or decreases subsequent gambling behavior depending on whether instigating or inhibiting cues were made salient. According to alcohol-myopia theory, the behavior of alcohol-intoxicated (vs. sober) persons is disproportionally influenced by salient (vs. peripheral) cues. In a first study in the lab, participants drank either alcohol or a placebo. Then they gambled with a computerized slot machine in which either the high rewards or the low chances of winning were made salient by an eye-catching slogan. Our dependent variable was the number of trials played on the slot machine. In a second study in the field, we measured rather the alcohol level of bar patrons. Thereafter, we presented participants with the same slot machine from our first study and measured again the number of trials played. In a third study, we examined whether an intervention that makes low chances of winning cognitively salient (mental contrasting with implementation-intentions; MCII) reduces gambling under the influence of alcohol over 1 year. The results of the three studies were incoherent and difficult to interpret. In the second project, we investigated in one study whether a WOOP (Wish- Outcome-Obstacle-Plan) intervention reduces excessive drinking among adolescents. WOOP is an easy-to-use self-regulation strategy that effectively leads to behavior change. In WOOP, people first name an important personal concern (W-Wish). Then they imagine that they have successfully realized their wish (O-Outcome) and imagine an internal obstacle that stands in the way of realizing their wish (O-Obstacle). Finally, they formulate an if-then plan (P-Plan) to overcome the obstacle. In our study, young adults who wanted to reduce their drinking received either a WOOP intervention or a sham intervention. We then assessed their drinking over 2 months. Participants in the WOOP condition reduced their drinking more, than those in the sham intervention condition. In the third project we investigated in one large cross-cultural study alcohol consumption and drinking motives in five countries – U.S., Mexico, the UK, Spain, and Germany - towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, people drank primarily for social motives (to enjoy the company of others), followed by reinforcement motives (to improve their mood). Then came the conformity motive (out of social pressure) and the coping motive (to deal better with one's own situation). However, during the pandemic with its contact restrictions, people drank primarily to cope better with the situation (coping motive) and to improve their mood (reinforcement motive) and less out of social pressure (conformity motive) and to enjoy the company of others (social motive). We showed that in April 2023, towards the end of the pandemic, the ranking of motives had returned to its pre-pandemic state. In addition, we surveyed participants’ self-reported alcohol consumption and found that in all five countries between 20 and 30% of the participants were above the limit for high-risk alcohol use.
Publications
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Acute alcohol consumption as a risk-factor for escalated gambling. Paper presented at the 2022 Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Sevincer, A. T., Brinkman, J. & Oettingen, G.
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Alcohol myopia and gambling behavior. Poster presented at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Science of Motivation.
Brinkman, J., Sevincer, A. T., Garibay, G. & Oettingen, G.
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Alkoholmyopie und Glückspielverhalten [Alcohol myopia and gambling behavior]. Paper presented at the 52. Congress of the German Psychological Society, Hildesheim, Germany.
Brinkmann, J., Sevincer, A. T., Garibay, G. & Oettingen, G.
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Mental contrasting reduces gambling behavior and gambling related symptoms in problem gamblers. Poster pre sented at the 2022 Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Brinkman, J., Sevincer, A. T. & Oettingen, G.
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Alcohol use and drinking motives across five countries: a post-COVID-19 pandemic update. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 51(1), 85-95.
Rupprecht, Joana; Spitzweck, Bettina; Oettingen, Gabriele & Sevincer, A. Timur
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WOOP as a Brief Alcohol Intervention Led by Lay Coaches in College Settings. Health Education & Behavior, 52(3), 299-308.
Wittleder, Sandra; Bhoopsingh, Brianna; Gollwitzer, Peter M.; Jay, Melanie; Mutter, Elizabeth; Valshtein, Tim; Angelotti, Gina & Oettingen, Gabriele
