Aims. This study investigated whether impulsivity measured in 12-14-year-ol
ds could predict problem gambling in late adolescence, above and beyond oth
er personality factors such as aggressiveness and anxiety. Design. A prospe
ctive-longitudinal design was used, thus overcoming limitations of past stu
dies which used concurrent or retrospective designs. Participants and measu
rements. The sample included 154 boys living in economically deprived neigh
borhoods. Impulsivity measures comprised self-reports, teacher ratings and
laboratory tasks, and were administered during early adolescence. Gambling
behavior was assessed at age 17 using a self-repent measure. Early gambling
behavior and socio-demographic information were also collected for control
purposes. Findings. Results revealed that a self-report measure of impulsi
veness and a card-sorting task significantly predicted problem gambling, ev
en after controlling for socio-demographic variables, early gambling behavi
or and other personality variables such as aggressiveness and anxiety. More
over, the predictive link held across an levels of aggressiveness and anxie
ty. Both impulsivity measures seemed to tap an inability to foresee negativ
e consequences and an inability to stop responding despite unfavorable cont
ingencies. Conclusion. These findings suggest that disinhibited individuals
with response modulation deficits are at risk for problem gambling, thus s
upporting the DSM-IV classification of pathological gambling as an impulse
central deficit.