Increased accessibility and availability of gambling opportunities around the world have contributed to more people having problems with gambling. Current gambling studies have focused on the etiology, prevalence and mechanism for the development of pathological gamblers with few studies examining the processes of change of pathological gamblers into non-gamblers. / Qualitative case analysis has been used in understanding the inner, personal and subjective changes of Chinese male pathological gamblers when concerning their process of change and their difficulties in regulating their gambling behaviour. Participant observations were conducted to collect background information about pathological gamblers and build up trustful relationships with potential respondents. Fourteen recovered gamblers or pathological gamblers have been interviewed. The researcher has utilized narrative analysis to explore the meaning of the narratives of the ex-gamblers and pathological gamblers about their relpases, their identity formation, the role of human agency and about how others have storied their lives into a meaningful configuration when facing their gambling problems. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / There has been a lack of qualitative studies to understand the narratives of Chinese male gamblers in accounting for their changes from gamblers to non-gamblers. In particular, no studies on Chinese male gamblers have examined the issue of relapses and how pathological gamblers manage relapses. / This study aims to understand the interpretations and narratives made by pathological gamblers during their change. This study will give insights on how Chinese male pathological gamblers are able to abstain from pathological gambling. As relapses are common among pathological gamblers, this study would like to understand why and how relapses occur. Further, the study would like to understand the factors that motivate and maintain changes. Also, it tries to understand how the identified factors of changes such as interpersonal support, the formation of a new identity and meaning of life, the role of spirituality on gamblers' motivation, their connection with family members, have interacted with one another to constitute change. / Leung, Yuk Ki. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 71-01, Section: A, page: 0334. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 300-323). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.