Book Description

The Biology of Gambling is the third volume in the Gambling Theory and Research Series. Author Mikal Aasved wrote this series to meet the need for a comprehensive review and synthesis of the many published materials pertaining to gambling theory and research. The series summarizes and critiques the findings and conclusions of investigators who have attempted to determine the motivations for gambling, both normative and excessive. Dr. Aasved provides a thorough examination of the research efforts and theoretical explanations of leaders in the field of gambling studies. This volume focuses on the etiological or causal theories that have been advanced by specialists in the medical sciences, an increasing number of whom are adopting the view that biological factors play an important role in the developmnet of many addictive, obsessive-compulsive, and other maladaptive behavior disorders. The fifteen chapters are divided into four parts. Part I reviews medical or disease models of addiction, discussing early and later conceptions. The core features of addiction, the alcohol dependence syndrome, heritability of addiction, longitudinal studies, and the quest to discover the biological basis of addiction are explored in detail. Part II examines the medical models of pathological gambling by exploring early ideas on gambling and human evolution, recent definition and diagnosis of pathological gambling, criticisms of the medical and addiction models, treatment goals, and the ongoing quest to discover the biological basis of pathological gambling. Part III concerns multicausal models of pathological gambling, and focuses on general theories of addiction, gambling-specific theories, and finishes with a critique of multicausal approaches. Part IV integrates the contents of the book by highlighting its main points and offering such concluding observations as: "Where do we now stand, and where do we go from here?" This book, as well as the entire