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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Addictive Behaviors
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1494990
This article is part of the Research Topic An Integrative Proposal in Addiction and Health Behaviors Psychosocial Research: Overview of New Trends and Future Orientations Volume II View all 3 articles

Does Gambling Preference Level Affect Occupational Fraud Behavior? -Evidence from a Survey Study in China

Provisionally accepted
Shihua Huang Shihua Huang 1Yizao Chen Yizao Chen 2Baitong Li Baitong Li 3*
  • 1 Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
  • 2 Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Globally, occupational fraud, such as absenteeism, theft, and fraudulent claims of temporary disability, poses significant economic challenges. Understanding the factors contributing to fraudulent behavior and developing strategies to mitigate it are critical research objectives. This study examines the relationship between gambling preferences and occupational fraud within the framework of the fraud triangle theory, focusing on the "pressure" element. The findings indicate that individuals with stronger gambling preferences are more likely to engage in occupational fraud. This relationship is mediated by ego depletion and moderated by psychological capital and superstitious beliefs, which align with theoretical models of cognitive biases. Further analysis reveals that psychological capital and superstitious beliefs play a moderating role through the mediating effect pathway from gambling preferences to ego depletion. While the results are based on a general sample (non-gamblers), the study provides valuable insights for developing effective fraud prevention strategies in corporate governance.

    Keywords: gambling preference, Occupational fraud, Fraud triangle theory, Pressure, Ego Depletion

    Received: 11 Sep 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Chen and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Baitong Li, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300191, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.