The evaluation study was conducted to establish the gambling patterns that occur in gamblers during a self-exclusion period. The research was conducted in Quebec by studying 161 self-excluders, from a casino there (Ladouceur et al., 2007). Their exclusion period was between half a year and two years and was the first time to do so. The participants were contacted by the researchers using telephones and their progress and behavior were monitored through that. At the end of the research, the results were collected to check the benefits ability of the self-exclusion program.
The success of the program was measured by checking the behavioral progress of the participants. From the results received, the researchers found out that people with gambling problems enrolled for the self-exclusion period were able to control their problems. These people were able to control if not stop their gambling behavior. They found out that they could continue with life comfortably without being influenced or affected by gambling. Those who enrolled were able to do so within the first six months of being in it. They had decreased the urge to gamble and lowered their pathological gambling scores (Ladouceur et al., 2007). The research also found that despite the success of some of the participants, others ended up breaking their agreement and ended up in casinos and other gambling places. Despite the study being a success, the researchers concluded that more needs to be done to help pathological gamblers to overcome their problems.
The program used explanatory theory to source the results. This is because the results were obtained by analyzing the decision-making problems of pathological gamblers. The participants were observed how they would behave under certain situations, and in this case, enrolling themselves in a self-exclusion period. No intervention was used, and they were expected to control their behaviors and desires.
From what is provided in the evaluation study, the study was conducted using ethical guidelines. One of the ethical guidelines that should be followed during an evaluation is volunteering. The participants used in an evaluation study should willingly agree to the study without any form of coercion and be provided with a consent form to indicate this. In this case, they were volunteers since they were the ones to enroll themselves in these programs. They were also told about what the study would entail, and all the requirements needed from them. From the case study, it is also clear that they were given the freedom to end the study if they wanted. This is shown by the fact that some participants did not pick up their follow-up calls when the researchers called them (Ladouceur et al., 2007). The participants also withdrew from the study at different periods and were not forced to complete it.
Another guideline that was followed is that no participant was harmed during the study. The study was an observational study and therefore, there were no procedures that were carried out that may have led to injuries. Participants were not subjected to any form of tests or medical procedures that may have caused them harm. The guideline on the privacy of research participants and the protection of sensitive information was also followed. During the whole process, the only information provided about the participant was the number of participants and the average age of the males (Ladouceur et al., 2007). Communication and follow-up during the research were conducted by telephone, meaning the participants did not have to meet physically (Ladouceur et al., 2007). This provided a sense of anonymity and also privacy for them as they do not interact with anyone and can carry out the process at the home.
The final guideline followed was the provision of sufficient information about the study. The researchers provided adequate information such as the duration of the study. Providing a questionnaire for them to answer before accepting to join the study may have opened room for questions. This may have given the participants a chance to ask about the purpose of the research, the expected duration of participation, and any other general questions they may have had.
References
Ladouceur, R., Sylvain, C., & Gosselin, P. (2007). Self-exclusion program: A longitudinal evaluation study. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23(1), 85-94. Web.