Preliminary communication

Life Goals of Adolescents Prone to Gambling

Vesna Bilić orcid.org/0000-0003-2306-5803 ; Učiteljski fakultet, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

Frequent involvement of adolescents in playing different non-strategy and
strategy games for money or something else of monetary value, called gambling,
while taking chances and hoping that it will increase their material gain, even though
winning and losing are purely based on chance, has caused a growing concern about
the progressive increase in serious problems related to such activities.
The aim of this study was to examine whether different frequency of gambling is
determined by gender, the type of school the students attend, academic achievement,
absences and the pattern of life goals.
The study was conducted on 403 (49,6% female, 50,4% male) third-grade students of
grammar schools and secondary vocational schools in the Republic of Croatia and
their average age was 17.2 years.
The results have shown that boys gamble significantly more often than girls and those
students who gamble more frequently mainly attend secondary vocational schools,
achieve poorer school results and are often absent from classes.
Discriminant analysis has shown that students who have different patterns of
gambling frequency also have different life goals patterns. Accordingly, those who
are less likely to gamble value the importance of community and personal growth and
development more, i.e. intrinsic life goals and self-realisation orientated goals; those
who are prone to gambling are more likely to value the importance of wealth and
fame, i.e. extrinsic life goals.
An overlooked but important task of schools is to provide young people with relevant
information on delusions, risks and consequences of gambling, and to encourage
them to have meaningful and engaged lives that contribute to a greater subjective well
being, satisfaction and happiness.

Keywords

adolescents; gambling; life goals; academic achievement; life goals

Hrčak ID:

83166

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/83166

Publication date:

11.6.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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