The objective of this research was to assess individual differences in the activation of positive outcome expectancies of gambling with a response time (RT)-based measure.
Study 1 compared the activation of positive gambling outcome expectancies in the gambling cue manipulation condition (i.e., gambling video cue) versus in the control cue condition (i.e., non-gambling video). Participants exposed to casino video cues responded significantly faster to positive outcome expectancy words preceded by gambling prime relative to non-gambling prime pictures.
Study 2 assessed the degree to which the activation of high-arousal and low-arousal positive expectancies of gambling are facilitated by presenting gambling cues in gamblers with enhancement vs. coping motives, respectively. Reward gambling outcome expectancies were more strongly activated than relief outcome expectancies for gamblers with high enhancement motives.
