Chasing the Present: Cognitive Distortions, Time Perspective, and Alcohol use in Adolescent Gambling

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Abstract
Adolescence represents a critical developmental period for the emergence of maladaptive gambling behaviors, including loss chasing, a key marker of gambling-related harm. The present study provides the first behavioral examination of the interplay among gambling severity, gambling-related cognitive distortions, temporal perspective, alcohol use, and chasing behavior in a sample of Italian adolescents. Participants completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC-14), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and performed a computerized task assessing chasing behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or a loss condition. Logistic regression analyses indicated that illusion of control and present-oriented time perspective predicted chasing initiation, independent of gambling severity. The loss condition did not significantly influence initiation but did predict chasing persistence. Hierarchical linear regression further showed that chasing persistence was predicted by the loss condition, higher illusion of control and predictive control, stronger present orientation, and greater alcohol use, over and above gambling severity. Path analysis identified cognitive distortions as the primary mechanism underlying chasing persistence, exerting both direct effects and indirect effects through increased temporal myopia. Notably, gambling severity did not independently predict chasing once cognitive and temporal factors were considered. These findings suggest that loss chasing in adolescence may reflect a distinct behavioral vulnerability driven by distorted beliefs and present-focused orientation rather than overall gambling severity. Targeting predictive control beliefs and strengthening future-oriented thinking may enhance prevention and early intervention strategies for youth gambling.
Funding Information
  • Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

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