Impulsivity, Gambling Cognitions, and the Gambler’s Fallacy in University Students

The present study explored the associations among impulsivity, gambling cognitions, and behavioral adherence to the gambler’s fallacy in university students (N = 142). Both impulsivity and gambling cognitions were significant predictors of non-problem and problem gambler categories as defined the Problem Gambling Severity Index. A logistic regression analysis showed that the independent contribution of cognition was statistically significant but that the contribution of impulsivity was not. A behavioral measure of gambling was obtained by asking participants to play an online game of roulette for a maximum of 15 min. Only outside bets were permitted whereby participants were to bet on the color of the winning number. Adherence to the gambler’s fallacy was indexed by the likelihood of betting on an alternation in the color of the winning number as the number of consecutive outcomes of the other color increased. Gambling cognitions and gender, but not impulsivity, were associated with adherence to the gambler’s fallacy. Tracing the sources of specific influences on gambling behavior may benefit from a framework that distinguishes between “hot” (emotional) and “cold” (non-emotional) mechanisms that promote problem gambling.