Examining how dispositional greed is associated with gambling behaviours

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Author(s): Weller, Joshua ; Zeelenberg, Marcel ; Summers, Barbara

Journal: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Year Published: 2025

Date Added: July 31, 2025

The purpose of this study was to examine the link between dispositional greed and gambling behaviours. The researchers conducted two studies, including one with a sample of 1,118 adults in the Netherlands and one with a sample of 4,783 adults from England. Study 1 found that people with higher levels of dispositional greed were more likely to engage in multiple gambling activities. Study 2 found that dispositional greed was linked to irrational gambling-related beliefs, beyond what could be explained by a tendency to be impulsive. People with higher levels of greed had more severe problem gambling, were more focused on financial motivations for gambling, had greater confidence in winning, and were not as concerned with losses.

Citation: Weller, J., Zeelenberg, M., & Summers, B. (2025). Hungry ghosts eat casino chips: Associations between dispositional greed and gambling. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251315200

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251315200

Keywords: decision making ; gambling ; impulsive gambling ; risk-taking ; self-control

Topics: Gambling and the Brain ; Impulsivity ; Self Perceptions

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological - Personality and Temperament ; Psychological Factors ; Psychological - Judgement and Decision Making

Study Design: Descriptive: Survey

Geographic Coverage: Netherlands ; United Kingdom, England

Study Population: Study 1 used data from Dutch individuals who completed the 2013 and 2017 surveys conducted as part of the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS panel; n=1,118). In Study 2, adults (18+ years) living in England (n=4,783).

Sampling Procedure: In study 1, secondary data from the LISS panel was used, which involved a true probability sample of the Dutch population. In study 2, convenience online sampling was used, with quotas based on U.K. census estimates for region, age, and gender.

Study Funding:

This study was funded in part by the University of Leeds Business School Challenge fund. The LISS panel data were collected by Centerdata (Tilburg University). Funding for the panel’s ongoing operations comes from the Domain Plan SSH and ODISSEI. The initial set-up of the LISS panel in 2007 was funded by the MESS project by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).