Williams, Robert
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- ItemAdapting the Reno Model for Alberta(Final Report submitted to the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, 2005-06-01) el-Guebaly, Nady; Currie, Shawn; Hodgins, David C.; Smith, Garry J.; Williams, Robert J.Blaszczynski et al. (2004) are to be complemented for recognizing the need for a globally relevant and comprehensive responsible gambling game plan. Though not yet used in any jurisdiction, the Reno Model has created interest and debate among researchers, regulators and problem gambling service providers. The Reno Model authors have stressed that they do not view their creation as a finished product, only a launch pad for furthering responsible gambling initiatives. With this cooperative spirit in mind, we probe the Reno Model and consider its suitability for use in Alberta.
- ItemAwareness of the Response After Feedback Training for Changes in Heart Rate and Sudomotor Laterality(American Psychological Association, 1984) Roberts, Larry E.; Williams, Robert J.; Marlin, Richard G.; Farrell, Therese; Imiolo, DanielWhat is the relation between (a) the ability to control visceral responding on a biofeedback task and (b) the ability to report behaviors actually contributing to this performance? Subjects received biofeedback training for unidentified visceral responses and then gave written reports about what they had done to control the feedback displays. Independent judges were given these reports and, on the basis of knowledge about activities known to contribute to visceral activity, were asked to determine the visceral responses for which the subjects had been trained. The reports of subjects who succeeded at bidirectional control of heart rate (Experiment 1) or sudomotor laterality (Experiment 2) showed awareness of behaviors related to feedback as assessed by this procedure, whereas the reports of subjects who failed at bidirectional control did not. Subsequent experiments indicated that these results did not depend on a learning strategy that might have been specific to the initial studies. These findings call into question the view that people are unaware of what they have done to produce the response after training on biofeedback tasks. Earlier studies reporting lack of awareness in biofeedback are discussed in light of factors that affect the measurement of biofeedback learning and response awareness.
- ItemBest Practices in the Population Assessment of Problem Gambling(2010-03-31) Williams, Robert J.; Volberg, Rachel A.Population prevalence surveys of gambling serve several important purposes. However, there has been some question about the accuracy of the prevalence rates obtained in these surveys. These questions concern whether non-gamblers are under-represented in ‘gambling’ surveys due to lack of interest/participation; whether different administration formats (telephone; face-to-face) produce equivalent results; the true status of the many instrument-identified problem gamblers who do not report any corroborating gambling behaviour; and the weak correspondence between problem gamblers identified in population surveys and their subsequent assessment in clinical interviews. The need to resolve some of these issues motivated the present authors to embark on a program of research designed to bring clarity to the true rates of problem gambling and to help identify ‘best practices’ in the population assessment of gambling and problem gambling.
- ItemBooking clients for addiction treatment: What works best?(Canadian Nurses Association, 1999-04) Davis, Mary E.; Williams, Robert J.; Goodale, Leslie A.A final investigation attempted to determine whether the somewhat lower show-up rates after the Engaged intake could be a result of this procedure actually being therapeutic, thus decreasing the person's distress and need for treatment. This possibility was investigated by examining clinician ratings of the severity of the person's alcohol problems, drug problems and psychological problems when they came in for their assessment.
- ItemCasino Self-Exclusion Programmes: A Review of the Issues(Taylor & Francis, 2002) Nowatzki, Nadine R.; Williams, Robert J.Casino self-exclusion is a procedure by which individuals can have themselves banned from entering a casino. One of the purposes of this paper is to present information about the availability and features of these programmes. A second purpose is to make recommendations about how to best operate them based on cross-jurisdictional analysis and lessons from the addiction literature. The first section of the paper describes the typical casino self-exclusion programme, outlining the features common to most policies. The second section provides a detailed overview of the programmes operating in Canada in order to give the reader an appreciation of the procedural variations that exist. The third section discusses the effectiveness of self-exclusion programmes. Finally, the fourth section contains recommendations on ways to improve effectiveness. When properly implemented, self-exclusion can be a valuable tool in helping to curb problem gambling.
- ItemCharacteristics of good poker players(Center for Addiction & Mental Health, 2015) Leonard, Carrie A.; Williams, Robert J.Poker is characterized as a ‘‘mixed’’ game: a game that includes both skill and chance components. But what individual differences are characteristic of skilled poker players? No previous study has sought to evaluate the full scope of characteristics contributing to playing skill. The purpose of this study was to fill this void by attempting to comprehensively examine the individual characteristics associated with good poker players. Results from a sample of undergraduate students and community members (n = 100) showed that good players are more likely to be male, to have lower susceptibility to gambling fallacies, a greater tolerance for financial risk, superior social information processing skills, and less openness to aesthetic and imaginative experience. Evidence from this study also indicates that having sufficient levels of most of these attributes is more important for poker success than having exceptional strength in just one or two of these areas.
- ItemA Comprehensive and Comparative Review of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Outcome(Blackwell Publishing, 2000) Williams, Robert J.; Chang, Samuel Y.There are relatively few studies on adolescent substance abuse treatment. The ones that exist tend to be methodologically weak. Methodologically stronger studies have usually found most adolescents receiving treatment to have significant reductions in substance use and problems in other life areas in the year following treatment. Average rate of sustained abstinence after treatment is 38% (range 30-55) at 6 months and 32% at 12 months (range 14-47). Variables most consistently related to successful outcome are treatment completion, low pre-treatment substance use, and peer/parent social support/nonuse of substances. There is evidence that treatment is superior to no treatment, but insufficient evidence to compare the effectiveness of treatment types. The exception to this is that outpatient family therapy appears superior to other forms of outpatient treatment.
- ItemThe definition, dimensionalization, and assessment of gambling participation(Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research, 2017) Williams, Robert J.; Volberg, Rachel A.; Stevens, Rhys M. G.; Williams, Lauren A.; Arthur, Jennifer N.[No abstract provided]
- ItemThe Demographic Sources of Ontario Gaming Revenue(Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre, 2004-06-23) Williams, Robert J.; Wood, Robert T.The present study reinvestigated the gaming revenue contributions of Ontario problem gamblers. An attempt was made to exclude out-of-province expenditures as well as revenues from non-Ontario residents. Better methods were used to establish the prevalence rate (better instrument; more exhaustive RDD sampling to achieve a better response rate; adjustments for populations not available for sampling). Improved methodology was used to obtain self-reported net expenditures (prospective 4 week diaries of gambling expenditures; clear, non-biasing questions explaining what is meant by ‘net expenditure’). Various methods were used to establish the validity of these self-reported expenditures, including comparison with actual Ontario gaming revenues collected in this time period.
- ItemDesigning a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Gambling in Alberta: Rationale, Methods, and Challenges(Springer, 2008-12) el-Guebaly, Nady; Casey, David M.; Hodgins, David C.; Smith, Garry J.; Williams, Robert J.; Schopflocher, Donald Peter; Wood, Robert T.Longitudinal research on the determinants of gambling behavior is sparse. This article briefly reviews the previous seventeen longitudinally designed studies, focusing on the methodology for each study. This is followed by a description of our ongoing longitudinal study entitled the Leisure, Lifestyle, & Lifecycle Project (LLLP). Participants for the LLLP were recruited from four locations in Alberta, Canada, including both rural and urban populations. In the LLLP most participants were recruited using random digit dialing (RDD), with 1808 participants from 5 age cohorts at baseline: 13-15, 18-20, 23-25, 43-45, and 63-65. Individuals completed telephone, computer, and face-to-face surveys at baseline, with the data collection occurring between February and October, 2006. At baseline, a wide variety of constructs were measured, including gambling behavior, substance use, psychopathology, intelligence, family environment, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Finally, the conclusions that can be drawn thus far are discussed as well as the plans for three future data collections.
- ItemDetermining Socio-Economic Impacts of New Gaming Venues in Four Lower Mainland Communities: Socio-Economic Issues and Impacts: Final baseline report(Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Government of British Columbia, 2005-11) Mangham, Colin; Carney, Greg; Burnett, Sean; Williams, Robert J.Casino style gambling has been expanding rapidly over the last decade in Canada. Gambling is often associated with a range of positive and negative outcomes for individuals, local communities and society and is therefore an important public policy topic. The BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch requires research on the economic and social costs and benefits of increasing casino style venues to develop responsible gaming policies and assist the provincial government and other stakeholders in community planning. The opening of four gaming venues in the Lower Mainland (two new facilities and two expansions of existing facilities to include slot machines) created an opportunity to study the impacts of new gaming facilities. These venues are: The Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey The Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver The Edgewater Casino in the Plaza of Nations in Vancouver The Gateway “Cascades” Casino in Langley An interim baseline report was prepared in June 2005 that presented initial findings for the study. This final baseline report incorporates that data, as well as additional economic analysis completed this fall.
- ItemDetermining Socio-Economic Impacts of New Gaming Venues in Four Lower Mainland Communities: Socio-Economic Issues and Impacts: First Impact Measures Report(Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Government of British Columbia, 2006-05) Mangham, Colin; Carney, Greg; Burnett, Sean; Williams, Robert J.The purpose of the study is to learn what, if any, economic and social costs and benefits emerge over time from the creation and operation of these four new venues. Its intent is to inform planning processes by the provincial government and other stakeholders. The study is being done in three waves: Baseline (2004) First Impact Measures (2005) Final Report with Second Impact Measures (2006) This document constitutes the first impact report. It compares present (2005) data with baseline social and economic data gathered prior to and during the opening of three of the four gaming venues (2004). The impact analysis in this report is limited because it is based on data collected shortly after the Casino opening dates. These delays were not anticipated at the start of the project, however the final report due in 2007 will have sufficient data to support impact analysis. The report is divided into two sections, Social Impacts and Economic Impacts.
- ItemDeveloping a brief problem gambling screen using clinically validated samples of at-risk, problem and pathological gamblers(2011-11-14) Volberg, Rachel A.; Williams, Robert J.Screening for problem gambling takes place in both clinical settings and in population research. Several short assessment tools for problem gambling have been developed over the past decade for use in these settings. However, the performance of all of these brief screens has been assessed in relation to the longer screens from which they are derived. The purpose of the present study is to identify a subset of items taken from all of the most widely-used problem gambling screens that is effective in capturing the large majority of clinically-assessed at-risk, problem and pathological gamblers. A secondary goal is to examine the performance of existing short screens in correctly identifying clinically assessed individuals. The present study uses data collected in two surveys that included all of the most widely used problem gambling screens and classified respondents based on clinical assessments. The sample includes over 7,000 North American gamblers. The 30 unique problem gambling items were sorted into three dimensions (gambling motivations, behaviors and consequences) and the items most closely correlated with the clinically-assessed At-Risk, Problem and Pathological Gamblers in the two surveys and capturing 50% or more of the Pathological Gamblers and 5% or less of the Recreational Gamblers were identified. Once the candidate items in the two surveys were identified, the performance of all two-item, three-item, four-item and five-item combinations was examined to assess capture rates in each sample. All combinations that captured 98% of the Pathological Gamblers, 94% of the Problem Gamblers and 80% of the At-Risk Gamblers were considered eligible for further investigation. This consisted of determining the classification accuracy of the most promising combinations of items. Each of the promising combinations was then further examined for its performance across gender, age and ethnicity to assess the level of measurement invariance associated with each combination. Based on performance across both surveys and measurement invariance across major demographic groups, a combination of five items including one motivation item, three behavior items, and one consequences item was identified as the best brief screen for clinically-assessed at-risk, problem and pathological gambling. In contrast, the performance of item combinations that best represented other brief problem gambling screens developed in recent years was unsatisfactory. This underscores the importance of assessing the performance of brief screens in relation to clinical assessments rather than in relation to the longer screens from which they are derived.
- ItemDeveloping a short form of the PGSI : report to the Gambling Commission(Gambling Commission, 2012-01-31) Williams, Robert J.; Volberg, Rachel A.The aim of the present project is to provide the Gambling Commission and its stakeholders with advice on the feasibility and suitability of a new brief three‐item PGSI Short‐Form derived from the longer Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) for use in tracking the prevalence of problem gambling in the general population. The present report begins with a summary of the latest developments in the area of problem gambling screening. This is followed by a brief discussion of the problem gambling construct and then a longer consideration of how the performance of different assessment instruments is affected by survey methodology. The next three sections evaluate the performance of the new PGSI Short‐Form in the (a) 2009 and 2010 British omnibus surveys, (b) the 2007 and 2010 British Gambling Prevalence Surveys, and (c) in a large sample of English‐speaking clinically assessed gamblers. The final section of the report provides a summary of our findings and recommendations for the future.
- ItemDoes learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?(American Psychological Association, 2006-03) Williams, Robert J.; Connolly, DennisThe present research examined the influence of improved knowledge of odds and mathematical expectation on the gambling behavior of university students. A group of 198 Introductory Statistics students received instruction on probability theory using examples from gambling. One comparison group of 134 students received generic instruction on probability and a second group of 138 non-Statistics students received no mathematical instruction. Six months after the intervention, students receiving the intervention demonstrated superior ability to calculate gambling odds as well as resistance to gambling fallacies. Unexpectedly, this improved knowledge and skill was not associated with any decreases in actual gambling behavior. The implication of this research is that enhanced mathematical knowledge on its own may be insufficient to change gambling behavior.
- Item"Double trouble": The lived experience of problem and pathological gambling in later life(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2005) Nixon, Gary; Solowoniuk, Jason; Hagen, Brad F.; Williams, Robert J.Objective: The objective of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of older adults who engage in problem or pathological gambling. Method and sample: Older adults who gambled were recruited and were administered two gambling screens to ensure that they met the criteria for problem or pathological gambling. Eleven problem-pathological gamblers were identified and contributed their narratives via in-depth interviews about their experiences of problem or pathological gambling. Results: Several themes arising from the interviews were similar to patterns identified with younger gamblers, yet distinct patterns emerged. Some older gamblers gamble as an opportunity to break away and escape from traditional roles and go to extreme measures to continue their gambling while hiding it from significant others. Conclusion: Despite research suggesting few seniors encounter problems with gambling, this qualitative study suggests that gambling can have devastating consequences. Older adults may have lessened ability and time to recover from these consequences or from hitting bottom.
- ItemFrequency of seasonal affective disorder among individuals seeking treatment at a northern Canadian mental health centre(Elsevier, 1993) Williams, Robert J.; Schmidt, Glen G.The frequency of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) was examined in clients receiving treatment for recurrent mood disturbances in a northern Canadian site. Approximately one-fifth of these individuals were identified as having SAD using file histories and a statistical criterion as the basis for assessment. The failure to find a higher prevalence rate at this latitude may be due to other studies' reliance on client self-report, a tendency for individuals with SAD to relocate south, or a greater tendency for SAD to be seen by general practitioners and alcohol treatment centres in the north.
- ItemGambling and problem gambling in a sample of university students(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2006-04) Williams, Robert J.; Connolly, Dennis; Wood, Robert T.; Nowatzki, Nadine R.University students from southern Alberta (n = 585) were administered a questionnaire to assess their gambling behaviour. Seventy-two percent reported gambling in the past 6 months, with the most common types being lotteries and instant win tickets (44%) and games of skill against other people (34%). Most students who gambled spent very little time and money doing so (median time spent = 1.5 hrs; median amount of money spent = $0). While gambling is an innocuous activity for most, a significant minority of students are heavy gamblers who experience adverse consequences from it. Seven and one-half percent of students were classified as problem or pathological gamblers, a rate significantly higher than in the general Alberta adult population. The characteristics that best differentiated problem gamblers from non-problem gamblers were more positive attitudes toward gambling, ethnicity (41% of Asian gamblers were problem gamblers), university major (kinesiology, education, management), superior ability to calculate gambling odds, and older age.
- ItemGambling and problem gambling in Canada in 2018: prevalence and changes since 2002(Sage, 2020) Williams, Robert J.; Leonard, Carrie A.; Belanger, Yale D.; Christensen, Darren R.; el-Guebaly, Nady; Hodgins, David C.; McGrath, Daniel S.; Nicoll, Fiona; Stevens, Rhys M. G.Objective The purpose of this study was to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada and to examine how the rates and pattern of participation compare to 2002. Method An assessment of gambling and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 24,982 individuals aged 15 and older. The present analyses selected for adults (18+). Results A total of 66.2% of people reported engaging in some type of gambling in 2018, primarily lottery and/or raffle tickets, the only type in which the majority of Canadians participate. There are some significant inter-provincial differences, with perhaps the most important one being the higher rate of electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan The overall pattern of gambling in 2018 is very similar to 2002, although participation is generally much lower in 2018, particularly for EGMs and bingo. Only 0.6% of the population were identified as problem gamblers in 2018, with an additional 2.7% being at-risk gamblers. There is no significant inter-provincial variation in problem gambling rates. The inter-provincial pattern of problem gambling in 2018 is also very similar to what was found in 2002 with the main difference being a 45% decrease in the overall prevalence of problem gambling. Conclusions Gambling and problem gambling have both decreased in Canada from 2002 to 2018, although the provincial patterns are quite similar between the two time periods. Several mechanisms have likely collectively contributed to these declines. Decreases have also been reported in several other western countries in recent years and have occurred despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, suggesting a degree of inoculation or adaptation in the population.
- ItemGambling and problem gambling in North American Aboriginal people(University of Manitoba Press, 2011) Williams, Robert J.; Stevens, Rhys M. G.; Nixon, GaryThe purpose of this paper is to review what is known about gambling and problem gambling among Aboriginal peoples of North America. The focus is primarily on current gambling practices, and on health and social issues rather than economic ones. The first part of this paper provides a brief review of historical aspects of Aboriginal gambling. The second part reviews the current situation with specific reference to the meaning of gambling for Aboriginal people, current patterns of gambling behaviour, and the prevalence and causes of problem gambling within this population.