Beyond cognitive distortions: the mediating role of passion between erroneous cognitions and gambling severity

Objective While erroneous gambling cognitions and gambling passion (harmonious and obsessive) are recognised as key factors underpinning an individual’s gambling, limited research has examined whether passion explains how cognitive distortions relate to gambling severity.Method Using structural equation modelling (SEM), authors evaluated the indirect paths of harmonious and obsessive passion between three key erroneous gambling cognitions among 630 gamblers aged between 18 and 73 years (Mage = 38.56, SDage = 11.52). Results Controlling for gambling preference, frequency, and social desirability, predictive control exhibited a significant negative indirect path to gambling severity via harmonious passion, whereas obsessive passion positively mediated the relationship between illusion of control, interpretive bias, and gambling severity. Furthermore, obsessive passion significantly (negatively) moderated the relationship between interpretive bias and gambling severity.Conclusion Findings suggest that when individuals overestimate predictive control, they may cognitively minimise risks associated with their gambling. Additionally, internal pressure from obsessive passion could inflate perceived control over random outcomes and heighten the tendency to attribute outcomes to skill. Moderation results indicated obsessive passion may exert a stronger influence on gambling severity than interpretive bias. Overall, findings highlight the need to target both gambling cognitions and passion when addressing an individual’s gambling severity.