“Set yourself free!” Exploring help-seeking motives in at-risk gamblers
ISSN: 0309-0566
Article publication date: 3 December 2020
Issue publication date: 7 April 2021
Abstract
Purpose
With limited research on help-seeking in the social marketing domain, this research takes a unique perspective through the lens of McGuire’s psychological framework examining the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (or perceived help-seeking benefits) influencing help-seeking attitudes and behaviour in at-risk gamblers. This paper aims to examine the role that response efficacy has on the relationship between perceived help-seeking benefits and help-seeking behavioural intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 used focus groups to explore the positive influence of help-seeking in at-risk gamblers. Studies 2 and 3 used online surveys to further test the direct and indirect impacts of perceived help-seeking benefits on attitudes and behavioural intentions. Structural equation modelling with multi-group analysis (low/high response efficacy) tested the hypotheses.
Findings
Both cognitive and affective psychological motives manifest as distinct intrinsic (well-being, self-esteem and self-control) and extrinsic motivators (social influence) that influence at-risk gamblers’ help-seeking attitudes and intentions to seek professional services. These perceived benefits influence help-seeking intentions directly (for those high in response efficacy) and indirectly via serial attitudinal mediators.
Practical implications
The results provide a guide for practitioners to enhance the promotion of professional help. Practitioners should develop marketing communication messages centred on the specific psychological needs of at-risk gamblers to encourage help-seeking behaviour including an emphasis on assertion, affiliation, independence, utilitarian, tension reduction, ego defence and consistency.
Originality/value
This research is the first, to the knowledge, to examine the psychological motivations that encourage help-seeking in at-risk gamblers, demonstrating that both preservation and growth motives influence help-seeking attitudes and the decision to act.
Keywords
Citation
De Vos, S., Ilicic, J., Quester, P.G. and Crouch, R.C. (2021), "“Set yourself free!” Exploring help-seeking motives in at-risk gamblers", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 55 No. 4, pp. 1203-1226. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-04-2019-0347
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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