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Psychophysiological Assessment of Compulsive Gamblers' Arousal to Gambling Cues: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Psychophysiological assessments measuring heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and skin resistance level were conducted on 7 male compulsive gamblers and on 7 age and gender matched controls while both groups performed mental arithmetic and listened to individualized tapes of the gamblers' preferred form of gambling and an individualized fear tape. Heart rate responses of the gamblers to the 2 gambling audiotapes were significantly greater than those found for the controls whereas the groups did not differ on mental arithmetic or the fear provoking scene, confirming some degree of cue-specific arousal in gamblers. The other physical responses did not yield such strong results. If physiological arousal provides the motivational basis for gambling and is maintained on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement, the findings may have implications for the treatment of compulsive gambling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222

    Edward B. Blanchard

  2. Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, The University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

    Edelgard Wulfert, Brian M. Freidenberg & Loretta S. Malta

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  1. Edward B. Blanchard
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  2. Edelgard Wulfert
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  3. Brian M. Freidenberg
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  4. Loretta S. Malta
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Blanchard, E.B., Wulfert, E., Freidenberg, B.M. et al. Psychophysiological Assessment of Compulsive Gamblers' Arousal to Gambling Cues: A Pilot Study. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 25, 155–165 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009550724836

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