A4 The effect of negative interpersonal scenes on inhibitory control and decision-making in gambling disorder

Background and aims: While impaired cognitive control and decision-making are clearly related to gambling disorder (GD), it remains unclear how they are affected by interpersonal problems as contextual cues for gambling. This study tested whether these impairments in GD are specifically present following presentations of negative interpersonal scenes.

Methods: Inpatients with GD (n = 49) and healthy individuals (n = 29) performed a go/no-go and an intertemporal choice task with randomly presented pictures depicting either neutral scenes or negative interpersonal scenes related to a lack of autonomy (e.g. prison scene) or appreciation (e.g. thumb downwards). 

Results: The reduction of inhibitory control in the go/no-go task after negative autonomy-related compared to neutral interpersonal scenes was significantly larger in the control compared to the GD group. Within the control group, we also found a reduction of inhibitory control after negative appreciation-related compared to neutral scenes. There were no further significant between- or withingroup-effects.

Discussion and conclusions: Unexpectedly, negative interpersonal scenes decreased inhibitory control in healthy individuals but not in GD patients that may be explained post hoc by differences in stress responses or emotion regulation in reaction to the negative scenes. The effects of interpersonal problems on gambling behaviour in GD cannot directly be explained by cue-induced impairments of inhibitory control or decision-making.

Mitarbeiterin: Dr. Anja Kräplin

Doktorand und PI: Dipl.-Psych. Andre Schmidt

Betreuer: Prof. Thomas Goschke, Prof. Gerhard Bühringer

Dauer: 05/2012 – 12/2017

Publikation

Kräplin, A., Scherbaum, S., Bühringer, G., Goschke, T., & Schmidt, A. (2018). Negative interpersonal scenes decrease inhibitory control in healthy individuals but not in gambling disorder patients. International Gambling Studies, 18(2), 178-194. doi:10.1080/14459795.2018.1448426