Exploring problem gambling’s lay understandings: the social representations of problem gambling in relation to gambling involvement, sex and life satisfaction

The main aim of this study was to examine how people think about problem gambling, i.e., persistent gambling despite its negative effects, through the social representations (SRs) that they share about this issue. SRs are organized collections of beliefs, opinions, and knowledge that members of a social group have in common, and past research highlighted them as significant predictors of people’s behavior, and therefore valuable for public health interventions. We investigated the content of the social representation (SR) of problem gambling in a sample of Romanians and we also aimed to examine the variations in this representation according to individuals’ involvement in gambling, and the relations between these variations and life satisfaction. Sex differences were also assessed. We approached the SR content using the free association technique with the inductive stimulus “individual with problem gambling” on a convenience sample of Romanians (N = 313). Results of the comparative statistical analyses indicate significant differences in the core of this SR between groups with different positions on the variables considered. They suggest several elements of social stigmatization of people struggling with problem gambling within the SRs shared by certain groups, specifically by individuals with no gambling involvement (mostly female) and by those with low life satisfaction. Our findings indicate that the SR of individuals with gambling involvement (mostly male) is as focused on the psychological dynamics that attract and keep one’s involvement in gambling, but also on its risks, including that of social exclusion. Finally, our findings indicate that individuals with high life satisfaction share a more empathic perspective on the struggles confronted by people with problem gambling. © The Author(s) 2024.