Mosbey, Amy Leah2024-06-072024-06-072023https://hdl.handle.net/2440/141164This item is only available electronically.Cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency based on blockchain technology that can be a store of value or used as a form of exchange. It trades on a 24/7 international cryptocurrency market and is often subject to great price volatility and high returns and losses compared to traditional means of investing, such as equities trading. Relatively little research has been conducted into the psychological factors associated with this form of higher-risk speculation or its potential harms. The present study, based on 487 cryptocurrency investors, sought to identify the profile of harm, individual differences and problem gambling associated with cryptocurrency trading. As hypothesised, cryptocurrency involvement was found to be positively associated with problem gambling endorsement and certain gambling behaviours. Personality analysis of cryptocurrency investors showed higher scores on neuroticism, but lower on conscientiousness and agreeableness. Financial, psychological, and health harms were positively associated with cryptocurrency involvement, with those with the highest level of involvement found to have significantly higher scores in problem gambling, neuroticism, and moderate harm outcomes. These findings provide insight into the harm profile and individual differences associated with cryptocurrency investing and highlight the potential risk factors of cryptocurrency investment. These findings underscore the similarities between cryptocurrency traders and problem gamblers, and the potential for cryptocurrency to attract problem gamblers who may approach trading as a form of gambling. Keywords: cryptocurrency, gambling, harm, individual differences, risk factorsHonours; PsychologyThesis