Problem gambling: an outcome of a life history strategy

Sigal Tifferet, Sophia Agrest and Adi Benisti Shlomo

International Gambling Studies, 2011, vol. 11, issue 2, 253-262

Abstract: Evolution has created a spectrum of life history strategies that are linked to different personality profiles. People with low-K life history strategies display traits such as low parental investment, non-adherence to social rules, short-term planning, risk taking and impulsivity. We hypothesized that low-K strategists, who are characterized by this personality profile, would be inclined towards problem gambling. Seventy male customers of Israeli kiosks that offer lottery tickets answered questionnaires about their gambling behaviour, personality traits and demographics. As hypothesized, customers who came to buy a lottery ticket had lower K strategies than other customers. In addition, customers with a lower K strategy tended to report higher levels of problem gambling, independent of demographics. We propose that problem gambling may be a consequence of a low-K life history strategy and that by using evolutionary theory we can enhance our understanding of problem gambling, by linking it to a broader theoretical framework.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2011.599328

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