Temperament and character in pathological gambling.

Objective: We have studied temperament and character in pathological gambling (PG). Methods: Thirty-eight DSM-IV verified pathological gamblers (31 males and 7 females, mean age 35.4 ± 10.4 years) were tested with Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Matched controls were chosen from the normal population. Results: Pathological gamblers scored higher on the temperament factors novelty seeking (NS) and harm avoidance (HA). The most pronounced difference was found in the character factor self-directedness (SD). The pathological gamblers differed from controls in cooperativeness and self-transcendence. A personality disorder was found in 29% of the pathological gamblers 84% of whom scored either low on SD and high on impulsivity or had a more dishonest behaviour. Two-thirds of pathological gamblers showed immature character with or without high HA in temperament. The other third showed normal-character extravagant behaviour (86%), high impulsivity (36%) and less responsibility (50%) being the most common personality traits. Conclusion: HA and NS might be trait-like characteristics in PG. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.