Composite conditioning risk, gambling disorder, and gender: A cross-sectional survey among Chinese married couples

Abstract

Agnew's revised conditioning hypothesis tests in general strain theory have received considerable attention in delinquency studies. Yet, rarely has past research focused particularly on correlations among Composite Conditioning Risk (CCR), perceptions of Traditional Gender Norms (TGN), and problem gambling. This study adds a gender perspective to the revised conditioning hypothesis in a wider spectrum of deviant acts. Through a cross-sectional survey of 1,620 Chinese married couples in Hong Kong, we investigate the role of CCR in moderating the relationships between social strain/strain-induced negative emotions and disordered gambling among married couples and how this confluence is governed by TGN perceptions. Results indicate that CCR exacerbates the effect of composite strain on gambling disorder specifically among traditional men. However, TGN does not affect the risk and link between strain-induced negative emotions and disordered gambling for either gender.