How learning misconceptions can improve outcomes and youth engagement with gambling education programs

Abstract

Background and aims: Gambling education programs typically focus on promoting gambling as a high-risk activity with harmful effects; however, these programs demonstrate limited effects on the prevention of gambling problems. This paper proposes a clear theoretical framework to inform the content and delivery of gambling education initiatives and draws on psychological and pedagogical research to address some of the practical issues associated with its implementation. Methods: Literature was reviewed across fields of psychology, public health, and pedagogy to provide key recommendations to improve the outcomes of gambling education. Results: Four key recommendations were made for the development of future gambling education programs centering on theoretical approach, specialized content, and delivery. Discussion and conclusions: Recommended advancements are as follows: (a) evidence suggests shifting away from messages about gambling harms and instead applying a cognitive-developmental framework of problem gambling that may improve youth engagement by increasing personal relevance. (b) The cognitive model of problem gambling suggests that misconceptions about the profitability of gambling games (e.g., the gambler's fallacy) play an important role in the development of problems and should be a key target for education. However, exposing such misconceptions requires the challenge of teaching the mathematical principles that underpin them. (c) The pedagogical field provides valuable insights into teaching complex concepts. Research that applies the conceptual change model to science education suggests misconceptions also facilitate learning new complex information, such as gambling-related mathematical concepts (i.e., randomness and statistics). (d) In addition, improvements in computer-assisted teaching methods provide opportunities to use simulations and visualizations to help teach abstract concepts and correct such misconceptions.

The Prevention of Adolescent Problem Gambling Through Probabilistic Reasoning: Evidence of the Intervention’s Efficacy

“…The efficacy of this kind of educational approach further consolidates the adequacy of a cognitivedevelopmental framework of problem gambling prevention with youth (Keen et al, 2019). This kind of approach requires intervention providers to be experts with these concepts and to be good teachers as regards exposing and discussion of gambling-related misconceptions.…”

“…Doing education about these contents requires the challenge of teaching the mathematical principles that underpin them. Research that applies the conceptual change model to science education suggests misconceptions also facilitate learning new complex information, such as gambling-related mathematical concepts as randomness and statistics (Keen et al, 2019). Indeed, gambling misconceptions may result from a knowledge deficit of specific concepts in mathematics, including randomness, probabilities, and negative expected return (e.g., Toplak et al, 2007).…”

“…There has been an increasing interest in developing and evaluating preventive initiatives for adolescents, especially in the school context (see, for a review, Keen et al, 2017). Among them, several interventions have been directed on modifying knowledge and misconceptions about gambling (e.g., Capitanucci et al 2010;Ferland et al 2005;Ladouceur et al 2005;Lavoie & Ladouceur, 2004), in line with a cognitivedevelopmental approach to gambling education (Keen et al, 2019). However, many of them have been developed in absence of an explicitly described theoretical model (Ladouceur et al, 2013;St-Pierre et al, 2015) and, even when a theoretical model has been proposed, it was adapted from other addictions' prevention approaches, or it is often unclear how the theory was used in the program development (Keen et al, 2017;St-Pierre et al, 2015, for reviews).…”

Behavior Change Techniques and Delivery Modes in Interventions Targeting Adolescent Gambling: A Systematic Review

“…Specifically, knowledge of gambling, its potential consequences and other related cognitions may be lacking or erroneous in adolescents (St-Pierre et al, 2015). Such interventions therefore use these BCTs to correct beliefs or introduce new information, in the hope that cognition change influences gambling participation (see Keen et al, 2019). In terms of effectiveness, these BCTs were also three of the four labeled promising.…”

Langer's illusion of control and the cognitive model of disordered gambling

“…Current programmes have two distinct flavours. One focuses upon the design of gambling educational programmes for youth such as could be delivered, for example, in a secondary school curriculum [ 42 ]. The other is directed at casual gamblers who are at risk of developing gambling problems in the future [ 41 ].…”