Lottery Gambling: A Review

This paper presents an exhaustive review of the literature on lottery gambling involving numbers games, lotto, and scratch cards. Results provide tentative answers to the question why people buy lotteries, and support the theory of judgment under uncertainty, cognitive theory of gambling, and theory of demand for gambles. Results also indicate some potential addictiveness of this form of gambling. Youths buy different forms of lotteries and the best predictor of their lottery purchases is their parents’ lottery participation. Contrary to the myth that a big lottery win will ruin the winners’ lives, lottery winners tend to be well-adjusted and their life quality seems to improve. Suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The unacceptability of money as a gift

In four studies, subjects were asked whether money was an acceptable gift. In the first study, students stated that they would find it less acceptable to give their mothers a cheque than a gift token or a selected present; and that if they had to send a cheque they would spend more than twice as much on it as on the other sorts of gift. The second study confirmed these results on a larger, non-student sample of young adults, and also showed that it made no difference whether a cheque or cash was specified. In the third study, students were asked about the reasons why they would find it unacceptable to give or receive a cheque as a present. The most important reasons focused on the time and effort that ought to be spent on selecting a present, and the possibility that money sent as a gift might be used for mundane purchases. In the final study, mothers of students were asked about the kinds of presents they would find it acceptable to receive: they indicated that a cheque would be less acceptable than a selected present of a gift token, but they did not expect more to be spent on a cheque than on other gifts. Taken together, these results strongly confirm casual impressions that money is unacceptable as a gift in some contexts, implying both that the element of social exchange is crucially important in gift-giving, and that even in modern societies money is not a universally acceptable medium of exchange.     

IS LAND LEASING A SOLUTION TO UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING?

The increase in U.S. mortgage rates from nine per cent in 1976 to fifteen per cent in 1982 raised monthly mortgage payments by about sixty per cent, even before rising house prices in the United States over this period are taken into account. Not surprisingly, attention has been focused on ways and means of counteracting spiralling housing costs. One proposed solution is land leasing. Under such an arrangement, the homebuyer purchases the house but leases the land. (There may be an option to buy the land at some time in the future.) Land leasing reduces the overall purchase price, and hence lowers the minimum down-payment and the initial monthly mortgage payment. In Hawaii, land leasing has been a readily available alternative to land owning throughout the postwar period. The analysis of residential housing prices in Hawaii provides some quantitative estimates of the relative prices of leasehold versus fee simple properties. The average price differential is surprisingly small. One explanation of these small price differentials, for which a model is developed and tested here, is that borrowing-constrained households use high discount rates to calculate the present value of the future land price that they will, in effect, have to pay at the expiration of the lease. These discount rates are estimated in a nonlinear hedonic property price equation. The results are then employed to answer the question: Under what conditions would a leaseholder buy the land outright before the expiration of the lease?     

Influencing support of charitable objectives in the near and distant future: delay discounting and the moderating influence of construal level

Two studies investigated the delay discounting effect in charitable giving situations, and whether construal level moderates this effect. In both studies, construal level was manipulated by inducing a concrete vs. an abstract mindset. Participants were asked how much time (Experiment 1) or how much money (Experiment 2) they would be willing to volunteer or donate, respectively, to a self-chosen charitable organization in either the near or distant future. Participants committed themselves to contributing more time and money in the distant than in the near future. Additionally, an abstract (vs. concrete) mindset reduced this delay discounting effect, particularly for monetary donations. Delay discounting of costs associated with altruistic behavior and the role of construal level in increasing donations and volunteering are discussed.     

Relative effectiveness of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral interventions for anxiety disorders: Meta-analytic review

ABSTRACT

Increasingly popular mindfulness intervention innovations seem demonstrably effective in alleviating anxiety among people with anxiety disorders. However, the basis of such primary and synthetic evidence has, for the most part, been comparisons with non-active comparison conditions such as waiting lists. The longest-standing and strongest evidence-informed practices in this field have been cognitive behavioral interventions (CBI). This meta-analysis synthesized evidence from nine randomized trials of the relative effectiveness of mindfulness interventions compared to CBIs (i.e., active control groups) in treating anxiety disorders. The sample-weighted synthesis found no statistically or practically significant differences between the two groups on anxiety alleviation: Cohen’s d = - 0.02 (95% confidence interval = - 0.16, 0.12). Both groups enjoyed large clinical benefits. However, because mindfulness methods may require less professional training and take less time for both workers and clients to master, they are probably less expensive to provide. As they are probably less expensive, but equally effective, it seems that, in a cost-beneficial sense, mindfulness interventions may be more practically effective. These review-generated meta-analytic findings and inferences may be best thought of as developed hypotheses for future research testing. These and other future research needs are discussed.     

Does affective forecasting change motivation for disaster preparedness? Motivation one month after a hypothetical earthquake / ¿Influye la predicción afectiva en la motivación para la preparación ante las catástrofes? La motivación un mes después de un terremoto hipotético

The present study examined how disaster preparedness would change after people predicted their affective reactions in the event of a major earthquake. In Study 1, participants (N = 255) completed an assessment of disaster preparedness. One week later, participants predicted their thoughts and feelings if a major earthquake were to strike, and then responded to the motivation measure. Study 2 (N = 129) examined the status of participants’ motivation after one month. The results showed that greater motivation was only seen immediately after affective forecasting, and the same level of motivation was not maintained after one month. When people imagine a potential earthquake the expected negative affective reactions are overestimated. Disaster preparedness allows people to mitigate their future negative affective reactions. In order to avoid these affective reactions, affective forecasters had greater motivation for disaster preparedness.     

Usability and the emotional relationships in collective buying sites: a case study

Several people buy products that they will never use or even know what for. Feelings associated with pleasure, spontaneity and possession of something are reasons why people buy products without considering if they really need it or not if it will be useful or not, etc.. The collective buying sites are going up and offer products and services with great discounts. This study aims to relate the emotional design and usability concerning to collective buying sites and identify the reasons that influence people when it comes to buy something online.     

Assessing the effectiveness of a responsible gambling behavioural feedback tool for reducing the gambling expenditure of at-risk players

The current study assessed the utility of a responsible gambling (RG) tool that provides players with behavioural feedback about their gambling. Data was obtained from 779 people (n = 694 male; n = 85 female) who gambled online with Svenska Spel (the Swedish gambling operator) and who opted to receive behavioural feedback via an RG tool (Playscan). Importantly, data was also obtained from a matched sample of 779 players who did not opt to receive behavioural feedback. Feedback took the form of a colour-coded risk rating (Green = no issues, Yellow = at-risk, Red = problematic), which was determined by a proprietary algorithm. Additionally, gambling expenditure data (amounts deposited and wagered) was gathered for the week in which players enrolled to use the RG tool, the subsequent week and 24 weeks later (this data was also gathered for the matched sample). Results showed that Yellow (i.e. at-risk) players who used the tool significantly reduced the amounts of money deposited and wagered compared to players who did not use the tool – an effect observed the week following enrolment as well as 24 weeks later. Thus, informing at-risk players who have opted to receive feedback about their gambling appears to have a positive impact on subsequent expenditures.     

What is behind envy? Approach from a psychosocial perspective / ¿Qué se esconde detrás de la envidia? Aproximación desde una perspectiva psicosocial

Envy strongly influences many spheres of social life. However, the psychology of envy is still in its infancy. A theoretical and empirical examination of envy was performed with a psychosocial focus via two exploratory studies. In Study 1 (N = 141), participants were asked to describe an event in which they experienced envy, indicating which people they envied and the reasons for that envy. In Study 2 (N = 311), the relationship between envy and several psychosocial variables such as self-efficacy, self-esteem and perceived control were analysed, as well as the predisposition to express aggressive behaviours in response to this emotion. The results of Study 1 revealed that friends were the most envied people, and abilities or personal skills were the most frequent sources of envy. Likewise, the results of Study 2 showed that self-efficacy, self-esteem and perceived control predicted envy, which in turn predicted the expression of verbal aggressive behaviours.     

What was Bitcoin,what will it be? The techno-economic imaginaries of a new money technology

In its first decade, Bitcoin has not proven to be a practical money form for most circumstances, but it has become a staging ground for debate around the cultural role of money in society. This debate is poised between two related but ultimately incompatible techno-economic imaginaries: infrastructural mutualism and digital metallism. Each offers a theory not just of money, but also of relations, identities, and the larger imaginaries we call ‘society’ and ‘the economy’. In particular, they offer distinct visions of what it means to be a ‘peer’ in a peer-to-peer money system, and perhaps, a peer-to-peer society. This article traces the pre-history of Bitcoin, as well as more recent developments, to inquire about its future, as well as the future of money more broadly.     

Using the Multiple-Choice Procedure to Measure the Relative Reinforcing Efficacy of Gambling: Initial Validity Evidence Among College Students

The multiple choice procedure (MCP) is used to assess the relative reinforcing value of concurrently available stimuli. The MCP was originally developed to assess the reinforcing value of drugs; the current within-subjects study employed the MCP to assess the reinforcing value of gambling behavior. Participants (N = 323) completed six versions of the MCP that presented hypothetical choices between money to be used while gambling ($10 or $25) versus escalating amounts of guaranteed money available immediately or after delays of either 1 week or 1 month. Results suggest that choices on the MCP are correlated with other measures of gambling behavior, thus providing concurrent validity data for using the MCP to quantify the relative reinforcing value of gambling. The MCP for gambling also displayed sensitivity to reinforcer magnitude and delay effects, which provides evidence of criterion validity. The results are consistent with a behavioral economic model of addiction and suggest that the MCP could be a valid tool for future research on gambling behavior.     

Young people’s perceptions of power and influence as a basis for understanding contemporary citizenship

Persistent simplistic binary discourses of young people’s citizenship portray them either as civically deficit and disengaged citizens or the creators of new democratic modes and approaches. This paper draws on field research with two groups of young people in Australia to better recognise the nuance of young people’s experiences of citizenship, power and influence. The study investigated the extent to which different groups of young people believe that they have the power to influence society; the ways in which they seek this influence; the current barriers to their influence; and what would enable them to have greater influence. Our analysis in this paper draws on Lukes’ concepts of power [2005. Power: A Radical View. 2nd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan] and Arvanitakis’ framework of citizenship engagement and empowerment [in Arvanitakis, J., and E. Sidoti. 2011. “The Politics of Change: Where to for Young People and Politics.” In Their Own Hands: Can Young People Change Australia?, edited by L. Walsh and R. Black, 11–20. Melbourne: ACER Press], but also builds on an emerging scholarship concerned with the geographic dimensions of young people’s citizenship engagement and action, as well as with the affective, relational and temporal dimensions of this engagement and action. Our findings suggest that power works in different ways to both constrain and liberate young people as citizens – sometimes at the same time. The paper concludes with an argument for the continuing need to understand young people’s lived and located experiences of engagement, power and influence in more nuanced and sophisticated ways. This includes reframing the discussion about young people’s experiences in terms of the nature of their democratic engagement and action rather than simply their citizenship.     

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Among Bisexual People Compared to Gay,Lesbian, and Heterosexual Individuals:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Over the past decade, evidence has accumulated to suggest that bisexual people experience higher rates of poor mental health outcomes compared to both heterosexual and gay/lesbian individuals. However, no previous meta-analyses have been conducted to establish the magnitude of these disparities. To address this research gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported bisexual-specific data on standardized measures of depression or anxiety. Of the 1,074 full-text articles reviewed, 1,023 were ineligible, predominantly because they did not report separate data for bisexual people (n = 562 studies). Ultimately, 52 eligible studies could be pooled in the analysis. Results indicate that across both outcomes, there is a consistent pattern of lowest rates of depression and anxiety among heterosexual people, while bisexual people exhibit higher or equivalent rates in comparison to lesbian/gay people. On the basis of empirical and theoretical literature, we propose three interrelated contributors to these disparities: experiences of sexual orientation-based discrimination, bisexual invisibility/erasure, and lack of bisexual-affirmative support. Implications for interventions to improve the health and well-being of bisexual people are proposed.     

A meta-analysis of the pique technique of compliance

A random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the pique technique of compliance-gaining. Results indicated an overall significant effect of the pique technique on increased compliance rate across 17 comparisons (r = .27). Moderator analyses showed the technique worked significantly better than controls in gaining compliance when a smaller amount was requested, when the reason for the request was included, and when the technique was used in France. In addition, the pique technique was more successful than control requests in terms of the total amount of money or time given by participants and the percentage of participants inquiring about the requests. Theoretical and practical implications for the success of pique technique are discussed for future research.     

Does Asking Adolescents About Pornography Make Them Use It? A Test of the Question–Behavior Effect

Longitudinal survey design is the preferred method for the robust assessment of outcomes associated with socially undesirable or potentially harmful sexual behaviors. However, repeated measurement may induce the question–behavior effect (QBE)—the phenomenon where asking about a behavior changes the probability of engaging in the behavior in the future. Using an online panel sample of Croatian adolescents (M_{age at baseline} = 15.8, SD = .50), the present study explored the QBE in the context of adolescent pornography use. To this end we compared the frequency of pornography use six months after the initial survey (T2) between adolescents who participated in both baseline (T1) and T2 survey assessments (n = 1,053; 41% of males) and those who began the study at T2 (n = 130; 42% of males). In line with the findings from a recent Dutch study, we found no evidence that surveying adolescent pornography consumption increased participants’ reports of subsequent use. Implications of the findings for studying pornography use in young people are discussed.     

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Problem Gambling among College Students

The college years are a formative period where the risk for development of problematic gambling is high. Research examining racial and ethnic differences in gambling behaviors has been limited and inconsistent. The aims of this study were to examine racial and ethnic differences in problem gambling among a large sample of college students. Undergraduates (N = 3058) from a large southern university completed an online screening questionnaire which included demographics, gambling frequency, gambling expenditure (i.e. money lost) in the previous 6 months, and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Negative binomial regression results indicated that Asian participants gambled less frequently than participants who were Caucasian or Hispanic/Latino(a), but spent more money than participants who were African-American (AA)/Black or Hispanic/Latino(a). A significantly larger proportion of Asian students met probable pathological gambling criteria (SOGS 5+; 7.8 %) and at-risk gambling criteria (SOGS 3+; 16.3 %)) than Caucasian (5.2; 10.1 %), AA/Black (3.9; 10.2 %), or Hispanic/Latino(a) (3.6; 9.4 %) students. Additionally, a significantly larger proportion of Asian students endorsed problematic gambling indicators such as lying about losses, feeling guilty about gambling, feeling like they had a gambling problem, being criticized for their gambling, feeling like they couldn’t stop gambling, losing time from school or work due to gambling, having a family history of problem gambling, and arguing with close others about their gambling than Caucasian, AA/Black or Hispanic/Latino(a) students. Results suggest that Asian students may be a high-risk sub-group of college gamblers, and that there is a critical need for targeted interventions for this population.     

Obituary

Luck is by definition a random event. However, many people believe luck to be something it is not – an internal, personal quality. An obstacle for understanding personal luck and its sequelae among gamblers has been the lack of a psychometrically sound measure. The current paper reports the development of the Personal Luck Usage Scale (PLUS). In Studies 1 and 2 (Ns = 347 and 361, respectively), a one-dimensional, eight-item scale emerged and was subsequently confirmed among university-aged gamblers. Importantly, the PLUS was distinguishable from a general belief in luck (Study 2). In Study 3 (N = 60), a behavioural consequence of belief in personal luck was assessed among a community sample of gamblers. Specifically, PLUS scores were positively associated with the average amount of money spent in a gambling session. The implications of a belief in gambling-related personal luck for the progression and maintenance of problem gambling are discussed.     

Eliciting Street-Based Sex Worker Perspectives to Inform Prostitution Policy Development

Using a visual method developed with input from program participants, this study reports on data collected from people attending a Baltimore drop-in center for women in street-based sex work (N = 17). Respondents created collages expressing future hopes and aspirations, which they discussed in focus groups and interviews. Respondents focused on health, reunification with family, employment and housing. Although respondents’ easily visualized goals, they often seemed out of reach. Hurdles that they noted were largely due to poverty and lack of opportunities. Our findings highlight the negative impact of prostitution policy on women’s choices and their ability to achieve self-identified goals.     

Does injustice reduce cognitive performance? An experimental test / ¿Provoca la injusticia una disminución en el rendimiento cognitivo? Una prueba empírica

In this paper we report two experimental studies showing for the first time that injustice causes a reduction in cognitive performance in complex tasks. The two experiments (Study 1, n = 106, Study 2, n = 90) used two different paradigms. In Study 1 participants were exposed to injustice happening to other people. In Study 2 participants themselves were the targets of injustice. In both studies the dependent variable was cognitive performance in a complex task. Specifically, in Study 1, participants solved anagrams, and in Study 2, they solved several Raven matrices. The dependent measures were the number of anagrams and Raven matrices solved correctly. We found that cognitive performance was worse in the unjust condition compared to the just condition (i.e., fewer items solved correctly). These results imply that unfairness in everyday life may have a deleterious effect on individuals’ capacity to think in a complex way. Possible mediators for this effect are proposed.     

ALL‐PAY AUCTIONS WITH A BUY‐PRICE OPTION

This paper studies all‐pay auctions in which there is a buy‐price option for bidders to guarantee purchases at a seller‐specified price. We analyze symmetric increasing bidding equilibria in the first‐ and second‐price all‐pay auctions with the buy‐price option. While the optimal buy‐price in the second price is higher than are those in the first‐price all‐pay auction, both formats maintain the same expected profit. With an endogenous entry process, all‐pay auctions with the buy‐price can attract more consumers and ultimately reach a higher expected profit than does the uniform posted‐price selling mechanism. (JEL D44, L11, L81)