Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, 101 Station Landing, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Psychol Assess. 2011 Mar;23(1):234-44. doi: 10.1037/a0021404.
This article presents findings from the first taxometric study of actual gambling behavior to determine whether we can represent the characteristics of extreme gambling as qualitatively distinct (i.e., taxonic) or as a point along a dimension. We analyzed the bets made during a 24-month study period by the 4,595 most involved gamblers among a cohort of 48,114 people using an Internet service to gamble on sporting events. We applied two taxometric procedures (i.e., MAMBAC and MAXCOV) to three indicators of betting behavior: total money lost, total number of bets, and total money wagered. The results fail to provide support for the view that the most involved Internet sports gamblers include a distinct category of gamblers. More research is necessary to clarify the similar features of recreational and extreme gamblers and the dimensions that scientists can use to measure these behaviors. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for clinical, research, and public policy activities.
本文介绍了首次对实际赌博行为进行分类测量研究的结果，以确定我们是否可以将极端赌博的特征定性为截然不同（即分类），还是将其视为一个维度上的点。我们分析了在一项针对 48114 人的队列中，4595 名最沉迷的赌博者在 24 个月的研究期间通过互联网进行体育赛事赌博所下的赌注。我们使用两种分类测量程序（即 MAMBAC 和 MAXCOV）对三种投注行为指标进行了分析：总输钱数、总下注数和总赌资金额。结果未能支持这样一种观点，即最沉迷的互联网体育赌客中包括一个独特类别的赌客。需要进一步的研究来澄清娱乐性和极端赌客的相似特征，以及科学家可以用来衡量这些行为的维度。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对临床、研究和公共政策活动的影响。
