Abstract
Gambling is acknowledged to have many negative effects on the individual. However, from a psychological perspective, aggression as an outcome of gambling has been overlooked. This paper investigates the dynamics of the relationship between aggression and slot machine gambling. A non-participation observation study observed a small group of aggressive individuals (n = 8; identified in a previous study) over a period of eight weeks. Four categories of aggressive behaviour were confirmed from previous research (verbal aggression towards the gambling arcade staff; verbal aggression towards the slot machines; verbal aggression towards other slot machine players; and physical aggression towards the slot machines). From the in-depth observations, possible reasons motivating these types of aggressive behaviour are discussed. It is suggested that the frustration, guilt and embarrassment of losing are the prime causes of such aggression.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 50-58 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Aug 2005 |
Keywords
- Slot-machine gambling
- Aggressive behaviour
- Problem gambling
- Qualitative study
- Non-participant observation