An empirical investigation of the pathways model of problem gambling and the UPPS-P

Abstract While impulsivity is recognised as a central aetiological factor of problem gambling within the pathways model, limited research has examined the different dimensions of this trait and the three gambling sub-types contained within this model. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the relationship between impulsivity and the three problem gambling sub-types within the pathways model. A total of 368 moderate and high-risk problem gamblers (PGSI score ≥ 5) aged between 18 and 73 ( M age = 36.95, SD age = 10.73) were recruited via the general community and Prolific. Participants completed an online survey containing the Gambling Pathways Questionnaire (GPQ), the Short-Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (S-MCSDS), the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and the Short-UPPS-P Impulsive Behavioural Scale (S-UPPS-P). ANOVA results showed anti-social impulsivist to report higher mean levels of positive/negative urgency than emotionally vulnerable and behaviourally conditioned gamblers. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that negative urgency more than tripled the odds of membership to the emotionally vulnerable gambling sub-type relative to the behaviourally conditioned sub-type. Positive/negative urgency and sensation-seeking were also associated with significantly higher odds of membership in the anti-social impulsivist gambling sub-type compared to the behaviourally conditioned sub-type. Findings reinforce the idea that problem gamblers belong to a heterogeneous population, with positive urgency and sensation-seeking potentially serving as key factors distinguishing anti-social impulsivist gamblers from behaviourally conditioned and emotionally vulnerable gamblers.