Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Addictive Behaviors journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/addictbeh The intergenerational transmission of problem gambling: The mediating role of offspring gambling expectancies and motives N.A. Dowling a,b,⁎ , E. Oldenhof a,c , K. Shandley a , G.J. Youssef a,d , S. Vasiliadis b , S.A. Thomas e,f , E. Frydenberg b , A.C. Jackson b a School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia b Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia c School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia d Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia e School of Primary Health Care, Monash University, Australia f International Institute for Primary Health Care Research, Shenzhen, China HIGHLIGHTS • There was a significant relationship between parent-and-offspring problem gambling. • This relationship persisted after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics. • Self-enhancement and money expectancies mediated intergenerational transmission. • Over-involvement and emotional impact expectancies mediated intergenerational transmission. • Enhancement and coping motives mediated intergenerational transmission. ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Problem gambling Cognitions Expectancies Motives Parents Offspring ABSTRACT Introduction: The risk for developing a gambling problem is greater among offspring who have a problem gambling parent, yet little research has directly examined the mechanisms by which this transmission of problem gambling occurs. For this reason, the present study sought to examine the degree to which children's ex- pectancies and motives relating to gambling explain, at least in part, the intergenerational transmission of problem gambling. Methods: Participants (N = 524; 56.5% male) were recruited from educational institutions, and retro- spectively reported on parental problem gambling. Problem gambling was measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index and a range of positive and negative expectancies and gambling motives were explored as potential mediators of the relationship between parent-and-participant problem gambling. Results: The relationship between parent-and-participant problem gambling was significant, and remained so after controlling for sociodemographic factors and administration method. Significant mediators of this relationship included self-enhancement expectancies (feeling in control), money expectancies (financial gain), over-involvement (preoccupation with gambling) and emotional impact expectancies (guilt, shame, and loss), as well as enhancement motives (gambling to increase positive feelings) and coping motives (gambling to reduce or avoid negative emotions). All mediators remained significant when entered into the same model. Conclusions: The findings highlight that gambling expectancies and motives present unique pathways to the development of problem gambling in the offspring of problem gambling parents, and suggest that gambling cognitions may be potential candidates for targeted interventions for the offspring of problem gamblers. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.09.003 Received 12 January 2017; Received in revised form 30 August 2017; Accepted 10 September 2017 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Deakin University, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Room BC5.116, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia. E-mail address: nicki.dowling@deakin.edu.au (N.A. Dowling). Addictive Behaviors 77 (2018) 16–20 Available online 11 September 2017 0306-4603/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. MARK