Cognitive distortions in gamblers and non‑gamblers of a representative spanish sample

Abstract

Cognitive biases or distortions related to gambling, present in all people, are considered a relevant factor in the development of gambling-related problems. Objective: to establish whether the presence of these biases or cognitive distortions, in gamblers and non-gamblers, is related to the presence of gambling problems. Method: 3000 people aged 18–81 years, representative of the Spanish adult population, underwent a structured survey. Results: the presence of distortions was relevant to distinguish gamblers according to their level of gambling engagement and problems. There is a constant and significant tendency to have more cognitive distortions as gambling problems increase. But not all distortions have the same ability to distinguish between the different groups of gamblers. The results seem to group gamblers into three groups according to the presence of cognitive distortions, from less to more: (1) non-gamblers, (2) low-risk and at-risk gamblers, and (3) problem and pathological gamblers. The relevance of this research and its practical implications for both treatment and prevention work is discussed