Abstract
Accumulating research suggests that gambling can negatively affect core domains of development, particularly among adolescents. The present study sought to explore the relationship between gambling behavior, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem in a sample of 324 Greek adolescents (x=13.9). Measures of constructs included the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA) (Winters, Stinchfield, & Fulkerson, 1993), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) (Petridis, 2009), and Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale. In total, 124 adolescents (38%) reported gambling at least once a month (N=94 males, N=30 females).Within gamblers, a positive correlation between emotional intelligence and self-esteem was observed (r= .65, p< .000); the strength of the relationship was higher in female gamblers (r= .77, p< .000) than in male gamblers (r= .62, p< .000). Furthermore, 66 adolescents (20.4% of the total population) reported gambling on a weekly basis (N=56 males, N=10 females). The correlation between emotional intelligence and self-esteem did not vary significantly as a function of time among boys; emotional intelligence and self-esteem were moderately correlated (r= .60, p< .000).independent of whether they gambled or not. In female gamblers, however, the correlation between emotional intelligence and self-esteem was r=.85 (p< .005), as opposed to those girls who did not gamble (r= .69, p< .000). Increasing gambling behavior in adolescence highlights the need for further research on the precise nature and psychosocial causes of the relationship between frequency of gambling behavior, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem, especially in girls.
Author Information
Evanthia Ganetsou, The American College of Greece, Greece
Nefeli Ladaki, The American College of Greece, Greece
Nastassja Brennan Devine, The American College of Greece, Greece
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