The elderly faced with risk : time perspectives part in gambling
Abstract
As highlighted in a 2010 report of the Centre d'analyse stratégique, the aging of the population
in our post-industrialized countries remains a major societal challenge. Scientific research has
therefore to provide insights regarding how to age healthy in all areas. Gambling is not
immune, given that the prevalence of pathological gambling is increasing among over 60s
(Wainstein, Grall-Bronnec & Venisse, 2008). Even though seniors over 55 are the first
gambling consumers (INSEE, 2014), senior's gambling behavior is rarely investigated. This
empirical study attempts to describe senior's specificities in relation to time perspectives (TP -
Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999), risk taking and illusion of control (Langer, 1975). Through two
experiments, using two different types of gambling (the first on a computer media online, the
second based on face-to-face dice rolls), age groups were compared. Analyzes included data
from 391 (Experiment 1) and 44 (Experiment 2) participants. Results showed that 1 / the
elderly take more risks than the young people, 2 / the "present fatalistic" TP positively
influences illusion of control. Perceiving the present as determined by uncontrolable forces
appears to increase, paradoxically, the perceived level of control. An age effect on "past
negative" TP and on "present hedonistic" TP was found in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, age
impacted "present fatalistic" TP. These results suggest that seniors must be considered as a
specific population, who requires therefore targeted prevention measures. Including time
perspectives in the risk behaviors evaluation would allow the development of preventive
measures specific to age, but also to individual's TP profile.
Domains
Psychology
Origin : Files produced by the author(s)
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