Abstract
For the past several years the author and his colleagues have explored the area of how social psychological constructs and theoretical models can be applied to the prevention of health threatening behaviors in adolescents. In examining the need for the development of gambling prevention programs for adolescents, it might be of value to consider the application of such constructs and theoretical models as a foundation to the development of prevention programs in this emerging problem behavior among adolescents. In order to provide perspective to the reader, the present paper reviews the history of various psychosocial models and constructs generic to programs directed at prevention of substance abuse in adolescents. A brief history of some of these models, possibly most applicable to gambling prevention programs, are presented. Social inoculation, reasoned action, planned behavior, and problem behavior theory, are among those discussed. Some deficits of these models, are also articulated. How such models may have relevance to developing programs for prevention of problem gambling in adolescents is also discussed. However, the inherent differences between gambling and more directly health threatening behaviors such as substance abuse must, of course, be seriously considered in utilizing such models. Most current gambling prevention programs have seldom been guided by theoretical models. Developers of gambling prevention programs should consider theoretical foundations, particularly since such foundations not only provide a guide for programs, but may become critical tools in evaluating their effectiveness.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ajzen, I. (1971). Attitudinal vs. normative messages: An investigation of the differential effects of persuasive communication on behavior. Sociometry, 34, 263-280.
Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckmann (Eds.), Action control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11-40). Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Ajzen, I. (1988). Attitudes, Personality & Behavior. Chicago: Dorsey press.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50, 179-211.
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1972). Attitudes and normative beliefs as factors influencing behavioral intentions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 21, 1-9.
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1973). Attitudinal and normative variables as predictors of specific behaviors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 41-57.
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1977). Attitude-behavior relations: A theoretical analysis and review of empirical research. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 888-918.
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ajzen, I., & Madden, T. J. (1986). Prediction of goal-directed behavior: Attitudes, intentions, and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 22, 453-474.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSMIV). Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.
Arnett, J. (1992). Reckless behavior in adolescence: A development perspective. Developmental Review, 12, 339-373.
Ary, D. V, Duncan, T. E., Biglan, A., Metzler, C. W., Noell, J. W., & Smolkowski, K. (1999). Development of adolescent problem behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27(2), 141-150.
Bailey, S. L. (1992). Adolescents' multisubstance use patterns: The role of heavy alcohol and cigarette use. American Journal of Public Health, 82(9), 1220-1224.
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanisms in human agency. American Psychology, 37, 122-147.
Bandura, A., & Adams, N. E. (1977). Analysis of self-efficacy theory of behavioral change. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(4), 287-310.
Bandura, A., Adams, N. E., & Beyer, J. (1977). Cognitive processes mediating behavioral change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(3), 125-139.
Beauvais, F., Chavez, E. L., Oetting, E. R., Deffenbacher, J. L., & Cornell, G. R. (1996). Drug use, violence, and victimization among white American, Mexican American, and American Indian dropouts, students with academic problems, and students in good academic standing. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(3), 292-299.
Bentler, P. M., & Speckart, G. (1979). Models of attitude-behavior relationships. Psychological Review, 86, 451-464.
Bentler, P. M., & Speckart, G. (1981). Attitudes cause behavior: A structural equation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 226-238.
Berman, L., & Siegel, M.E. (1992). Behind the 8–ball: A guide for families of gamblers. Fireside/Parkside Recovery Book. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Botvin, G. J., & Eng, A. (1982). The efficacy of a multicomponent approach to the prevention of cigarette smoking. Preventive Medicine, 11, 199-211.
Botvin, G. J., Eng, A., & Williams, C. L. (1980). Preventing the onset of cigarette smoking through life skills training. Preventive Medicine, 9, 135-143.
Brubaker, R. G., & Wickersham, D. (1990). Encouraging the practice of testicular self examination: A field application of the theory of reasoned action. Health-Psychology, 9(2), 154-163.
Brustuen, S., & Gabriel, G. (N.D.). Pathological gambling and chemical dependency: Similarities and unique characteristics. project turnabout/Vanguard MN.
Cox, S. (1998, June). Helpline data from 30 states. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering, Irving, CA.
Crawford, T. J., & Boyer, R. (1985). Salient consequences, cultural values and childbearing intentions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 15,16-30.
Cummings, W. T., & Corney, W. (1987). A conceptual model of gambling behavior: Fishbein's Theory of Reasoned Action. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3(3), 190-201.
Davidson, A. R., & Jaccard, J. J. (1975). Population psychology: A new look at an old problem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 1073-1082.
Edmundson, E., McAlister, A., Murray, D., Perry, C., & Lichtenstein, E. (1991). Approaches directed to the individual. In D. R. Shopland, D. M. Burns, J. M. Samet, & E. R. Gritz (Eds.), Strategies to control tobacco use in the United States: A blueprint for public health in the 1990s (Publication No. 92-3316, pp. 147-199.) Washington, DC: National Institutes of Heath.
Ellickson, P. L., Hays, R. D., & Bell, R. M. (1992). Stepping through the drug use sequence: Longitudinal scalogram analysis of initiation and regular use. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(3), 441-451.
Epstein, J., Dusenbury, L., Botvin, G., & Diaz, T. (1994). Determinants of intentions of junior high school students to become sexually active and use condoms: Implications for reduction and prevention of AIDS risk. Psychological Reports, 75, 1043-1053.
Escobedo, L. G., Reddy, M., & DuRant, R. H. (1997). Relationship between cigarette smoking and health risk and problem behaviors among adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 151(1), 66-71.
Evans, R. I. (1989a). Albert Bandura: The man and his ideas. New York: Praeger Publishers.
Evans, R.I. (1989b). The evolution of challenges to researchers in health psychology. Health Psychology, 8, 631-639.
Evans, R. I. (2001). Social influences in etiology and prevention of smoking and other health threatening behaviors in children and adolescents. In A. Baum, T. A. Revenson, & J. E. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of Health Psychology (pp. 459-468). Mahwah, NJ: Earlbaum.
Evans, R. I. & Getz, J. G. (in press). Resisting health risk behavior: The social inoculation approach and its extensions. In T. P. Gullotta, & M. Bloom (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Heath Promotion. New York, NY: Kluwer/Academic.
Fishbein, M. (1967). Attitude and the prediction of behavior. In M. Fishbein (Eds.), Readings in attitude theory and measurement (pp. 477-493). New York, NY: Wiley.
Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes & predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Fishbein, M., & Jaccard, J. J. (1973). Theoretical and methodological considerations in the prediction of family planning intentions and behavior. Representative Research in Social Psychology, 4, 37-57.
Fishbein, M., Jaccard, J. J., Davidson, A. R., Ajzen, I., & Loken, B. (1980). Predicting and understanding family planning behaviors: Beliefs, attitudes and intentions. In I. Ajzen & M. Fishbein (Eds.), Understanding attitudes and predicting social behaviors. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Fisher, S. (1993). Gambling and pathological gambling in adolescents. Journal of Gambling Studies, 9(3), 277-288.
Gadboury, A., & Ladouceur, R. (1993). Evaluation of prevention program for pathological gambling among adolescents. Journal of Primary Prevention, 14(1), 21-28.
Gilchrest, L. D., Schinke, S. P., & Blythe, B. J. (1979). Primary prevention services for children and youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 1, 379-391.
Griffin-Shelley, E., Sandler, K. R., & Lees, C. (1992). Multiple addictions among dually diagnosed adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Chemical Dependency, 2(2), 35-45.
Griffiths, M. (1994). An exploratory study of gambling cross additions. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10(4), 371-384.
Jessor, R., & Jessor, S. L. (1977). Problem behavior and psychosocial development: A longitudinal study of youth. New York: Academic Press.
Kaminer, V., & Perry, N. M. (1999). Gambling behavior in youths: Why we should be concerned. Psychiatric Services, 50, 167-168.
Kandel, D., & Yamaguchi, K. (1993). From beer to crack: Development patterns of drug involvement. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 851-855.
Kendall, P. C., & Hollon, S. D. (1979). Cognitive-behavioral interventions: Theory, research and practice. New York, NY: Academic Press.
Kroeber, H. L. (1992). Roulette gamblers and gamblers at electronic game machines: Where are the differences? Journal of Gambling Studies, 8(1), 79-92.
Ladouceur, R., Boudreault, N., Jjacques, C., & Vitaro, F. (1999). Pathological gambling and related problems among adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 8, 55-68.
Lorenz, V. C., & Yaffee, R. A. (1986). Pathological gambling: Psychosomatic, emotional, and marital difficulties as reported by the gambler. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2(1), 40-49.
Lowry, R., Holtzman, D., Truman, B. I., Kann, L., Collins, J. L., & Kolbe, L. J. (1994). Substance use and HIV-related sexual behaviors among US high school students: Are they related? American Journal of Public Health, 85(7), 1116-1120.
Manstead, A., Proffitt, C., & Smart, J. (1983). Predicting and understanding mothers' infant-feeding intentions and behavior: Testing the theory of reasoned action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 657-671.
McBride, D. C., Inciardi, J. A., Chitwood, D. D., McCoy, C. B., & National AIDS Research Consortium (1992). Crack use and correlates of use in national populations of street heroin users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 24(4), 411-416.
Minnesota Institute of Public Health (1996). Improving your odds: A curriculum about winning, losing, and staying out of trouble with gambling. Anoka, MN: Minnesota Institute of Public Health.
Minnesota Institute of Public Health (1997a). Table talk: A program for families about winning, losing, and staying out of trouble with gambling. Anoka, MN: Minnesota Institute of Public Health.
Minnesota Institute of Public Health (Director) (1997b). Deal me in: Gambling trigger videos [Video]. Anoka, MN: Minnesota Institute of Public Health.
Montano, D. E., & Taplin, S. H. (1991). A test of an expanded theory of reasoned action to predict mammography participation. Social Science and Medicine, 32, 733-741.
Moore, S. & Keis, O. (1997). Gambling activities of young Australians: Developing a model of behaviour. Journal of Gambling Studies, 13(3), 207-236.
Norman, N. M., & Tedeschi, J. T. (1989). Self-presentation, reasoned action, and adolescents' decisions to smoke cigarettes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19, 543-558.
Oetting, E. R., & Beauvais, F. (1990). Adolescent drug use: Findings of national and local surveys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 385-394.
Osgood, D.W., Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., & Bachman, J. G. (1988). The generality of deviance in late adolescence and early adulthood. American Sociological Review, 53, 81-93.
Preston, F. W., Bernard, B. J., Hunter, R. E., & Bybee, S. L. (1998). Gambling as stigmatized behavior: Regional relabeling and the law. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 556, 186-196.
Proimos, J., DuRant, R. H., Pierce, J. D., & Goodman, E. (1998). Gambling and other risk behaviors among 8th-to 12th-grade students. Pediatrics, 102, 1-6.
Saltzer, E. B. (1978). Locus of control and the intention to lose weight. Health Education Monographs, 6, 118-128.
Saltzer, E. B. (1981). Cognitive moderators of the relationship between behavioral intentions and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 260-271.
Schifter, D. B., & Ajzen, I. (1985). Intention, perceived control, and weight loss: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 843-851.
Schlegel, R. P., D'Avernas, J. R., Zanna, M. P., DeCourville, N. H., & Manske, S. R. (1992). Problem drinking: A problem for the theory of reasoned action? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(5), 358-385.
Sejwacz, D., Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Predicting and understanding weight loss: Intentions, behaviors, and outcomes. In I. Ajzen and M. Fishbein (Eds.), Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Shaffer, H. J., & Hall, M. N. (1994). The emergence of youthful gambling and drug use: The prevalence of underage lottery use and the impact of gambling. Boston: Harvard Medical School, Division on Addictions.
Shaffer, H. J., Hall, M. N. (1996). Estimating the prevalence of adolescent gambling disorders: A quantitative synthesis and guide toward standard gambling nomenclature. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12(2), 193-214.
Sheppard, B. M., Hartwick, J., & Warshaw, P. R. (1988). The theory of reasoned action: A metaanalysis of past research with recommendations for modification and future research. Journal of Consumer Research, 15, 325-343.
Smart, R. G.; Ferris, Journal. (1996). Alcohol, drugs, and gambling in the Ontario adult population. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 41(1), 36-45.
Sosin, P. M., Koepsell, T. D., Rivera, F. P., Mercy, J. A. (1995). Fighting as a marker for multiple problem behaviors in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 16, 209-215.
Stinchfield, R. D., & Winters, K. C. (1998). Gambling and problem gambling among youths. The Annals of the American Academy of Political Social Science, 556, 153-171.
Sussman, S., Dent, C. W., Simon, T. R., Stacy, A.W., Burton, D., & Flay, B. R. (1993). Identification of which high-risk youth smoke cigarettes regularly. Health-Values, 17(1): 42-53.
Sykes, G., & Matza, D. (1957). Techniques of neutralization: A theory of delinquency. American Sociological Review, 22, 664-670.
Valois, P., Desharnais, R., & Godin, G. (1988). A comparison of the Fishbein and Ajzen and Triandis attitudinal models for the prediction of exercise intention and behavior. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 11, 459-472.
Vitaro, F., Ferland, F., Jacques, C., & Ladouceur, R. (1998). Gambling, substance use, and impulsivity during adolescence. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 12(3), 185-194.
Vitaro, F., Ladoucer, R., & Bujold, A. (1996). Predictive and concurrent correlates of gambling in early adolescent boys. Journal of Early Adolescence, 16(2), 211-228.
Volberg, R. A. (1993). Gambling and problem gambling among adolescents in Washington State. Albany, NY: Gemini Research.
Wallisch, L. S. (1993). Gambling in Texas: 1992 Texas survey of adolescent gambling behavior. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Wallisch, L. S. (1996). Gambling in Texas: 1995 survey of adult and adolescent gambling behavior. Austin, TX: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Wexler, A. & Wexler, S. (1992). Facts on compulsive gambling and addition. Clearinghouse Fact Sheet Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Piscataway, NJ. Center of Alcohol Studies.
Winters, K. C., Stinchfield, R., & Fulkerson, J. (1993). Journal of Gambling Studies, 9(4), 371-386.
Wynne, H., Smith, G., & Jacobs, D. (1996). Adolescent gambling and problem gambling in Alberta. Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission: Alberta, Canada.
Yeoman, T., & Griffiths, M. (1996). Adolescent machine gambling and crime. Journal of Adolescence, 19(2), 183-188.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Evans, R.I. Some Theoretical Models and Constructs Generic to Substance Abuse Prevention Programs for Adolescents: Possible Relevance and Limitations for Problem Gambling. J Gambl Stud 19, 287–302 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024207504890
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024207504890