Socioeconomic Status, Near-Miss Effect, Gender And Propensity To Take Risk As Determinant Of Gambling Behaviors Among Students In The University Of Ibadan

Abstract

Gambling behavior among university students has gained increasing attention due to its psychological, financial, and social implications. This study examined socioeconomic status, near-miss effect, gender, and propensity to take risks as determinants of gambling behavior among 381 undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan, who were randomly selected. The results indicated that a significant relationship exists between near-miss effect and gambling behavior (r = .28, p < .01), as well as between propensity to take risks and gambling behavior (r = .77, p < .01). However, socioeconomic status did not show a significant relationship with gambling behavior (r = .02, p > .05), and gender did not have a statistically significant independent influence on gambling behavior (β = -0.06, t = -1.82, p = .070). The results further demonstrated that socioeconomic status, near-miss effect, gender, and propensity to take risks jointly influenced gambling behavior [R = .80, R2 = .64, F (4, 376) = 168.11, p < .001], accounting for 64% of the variance in gambling behavior. The findings suggest that the propensity to take risks plays the most significant role in gambling behavior among university students, followed by the near-miss effect. Based on these findings, it is recommended that targeted interventions should focus on reducing cognitive distortions associated with gambling, educating students about the risks, and providing behavioral support for those with high risk-taking tendencies.