Moderating Effects of Herding Bias on the Relationship Between Parental Monitoring and Problem Gambling of Youths

Abstract

One critical issue in problem gambling is its variation as a function of psychosocial factors. We used empirical data from Nigerian youth Soccer gamblers (N = 238) to explore gambling herding bias as a moderator of the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling. Specifically, examine how changes in parental monitoring influence changes in problem gambling, and how this influence is a function of levels of herding bias. Hayes PROCESS macro analysis results revealed that increase in parental monitoring was associated with decrease in problem gambling, whereas increase in herding bias was associated with increase in problem gambling. Herding bias positively moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling such that, for respondents who had high and moderate herding bias scores, the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling was positive and strong, whereas, for repondents with low herding bias scores, the relationship between parental monitoring and problem gambling was negative. The present study reaffirms the negative and positive influences of parental monitoring and herding bias, respectively, on problem gambling among youths.

Keywords: Adolescent gambling; Herding bias; Nigeria; Parental monitoring; Problem gambling.