The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER Vol. 9(47) - Beliefs, Symptoms, Compulsions, and Impulses: Where Do the Chips Fall?

According to DSM-IV classification (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), pathological gambling (PG) falls into the category of impulse control disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) falls into the category of anxiety disorders. PG is characterized by the inability to resist the urge to gamble; OCD involves harm-avoidance behaviors. However, another classification theory has emerged that groups pathological gambling within a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorders, identified by an inability to delay or prevent oneself from engaging in repetitive behaviors. Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) theory (Hollander, Kwon, Stein, Broatch, Rowland, & Himelein, 1996) groups these disorders on a continuum from compulsive disorders at one... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 9(46) - Taking a Tour of the Spin Factory

After a fierce battle for the White House, George Bush narrowly defeated his opponent by winning the popular vote 51% to 48%. The red states claim this statistic as proof of an electoral mandate; the blue states claim this shows the country is more divided than ever before. Both camps are using the same election results to support their claims, yet they are arriving at conflicting conclusions. This circumstance probably doesn’t surprise the election-savvy reader. Not only do the political parties interpret descriptive statistics differently, they also selectively present only statistics that reinforce their position. To illustrate, in a speech... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 9(45) - Coping - Does Style Matter?

When confronted with stressful events, some people actively engage in problem solving techniques while others avoid the problem and hope it will just go away. Still others try to distract themselves from the problem by engaging in another activity. People who use avoidant coping mechanisms might turn to gambling or even substance abuse to escape. Nower, Derevensky and Gupta (2004) hypothesized that the way in which individuals cope with life’s challenges has implications for the development of disordered gambling. This week’s WAGER reviews this article to determine if coping style does matter. Nower, Derevensky and Gupta (2004) asked professors at... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 9(44) - Sunk Costs and Sinkerballs – An Analogy

The Red Sox have hit the jackpot. Eighty-six years after their last World Series victory, the Cards finally fell their way this season as they pulled off the greatest come-back in Major League history. For most Red Sox fans, this is the pay-off they’ve waited for their entire lives. For others, who already have passed on, the moment came too late. If we study the fans, cheering the Red Sox despite the number of times they have lost, continuing to watch into the 14th inning past 2am because of the 13 innings already invested, believing the Sox have to beat... Read more →