Dual effects of ‘losses disguised as wins’ and near-misses in a slot machine game

Sharman, Stephen; Aitken, Michael R. F.; Clark, Luke

doi:10.1080/14459795.2015.1020959

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Additionally, individuals appear to overestimate their number of wins by miscategorizing LDWs as real wins (Jensen et al, 2013). Accordingly, individuals reportedly enjoy LDW games more than non-LDW games (Sharman et al, 2015). Extending these previous findings, the results of the present study show that in an ecologically valid setting, LDWs are associated with more persistent within-session gambling behaviour compared to losses, but less persistent gambling behaviour compared to real wins.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…This may accordingly play a potential etiological role in the development of gambling problems. Given that LDW games are associated with reinforcing celebratory events, elicit physiological reactions (Dixon et al, 2010), influence gambling-related cognitions (Jensen et al, 2013) and are attractive to gamblers (Sharman et al, 2015), LDWs might increase within-session game persistence and consequently, the risk of more intense gambling behaviour, at least among novice gamblers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown that LDWs influence gambling-related perceptions and cognitions as individuals who experience more frequent LDWs both overestimate the number of wins they experience as well as reportedly misclassifying LDWs as regular wins (Jensen et al, 2013). Furthermore, individuals appear to enjoy LDW games more than non-LDW games (Sharman, Aitken, & Clark, 2015). Hence, LDW games appear to be associated with more enjoyment than non-LDW games probably due to their perceived high reinforcement rate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An empirical real-world study of losses disguised as wins in electronic gaming machines

Leino

Torsheim

Pallesen

et al. 2016

International Gambling Studies

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Losses disguised as wins (LDWs) appear to reinforce gambling persistence. However, little research has examined this phenomenon with real gamblers in natural gambling settings. We aimed to examine the relationship between within-session outcome size and subsequent gambling persistence. Account-based gambling data of individuals playing LDW games over a randomly selected day (2,035,339 bets made by 8636 individuals) was examined. We used a logistic mixed effects model to examine the relationship between the outcome of the previous bet (loss, LDW and real wins) and the odds of continuing betting in a game session. The odds of continuing betting in a game session were positively associated with the outcome of the previous bet. Compared to LDWs, losses lowered the odds of continuing a game session. In contrast, real wins implied greater odds of continuing a game session compared to LDWs. It is concluded that LDWs increase the likelihood of continuing betting compared to losses, but decrease the likelihood of continuing to gamble compared to real wins. As LDWs increase the number of bets made within a gambling session, and hence within-session gambling persistence, LDWs may potentially play an etiological role in the development of gambling problems over time.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An empirical real-world study of losses disguised as wins in electronic gaming machines

Leino

Torsheim

Pallesen

et al. 2016

International Gambling Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Sounds can be used to influence game preference (Dixon et al, 2014), but it has also been found that sounds can effectively be used unmask the disguised losses (Dixon et al, 2015a). Sharman, Aitken, and Clark (2015) studied the impact of near misses where half of the subjects were exposed to near misses that were also combined with LDWs. Valence and motivation ratings were collected after each round.…”

Section: Reinforcement Without Winningmentioning

confidence: 99%

What can be learned about gambling from a learning perspective? A narrative review

et al. 2019

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Gambling is a field that harbors both harmless recreational activities and pathological varieties that may be considered an addictive disorder. It is also a field that deserves special interest from a learning theoretical perspective, since pathological gambling represents both a pure behavioral addiction involving no ingestion of substances and behavior that exhibits extreme resistance to extinction. As the field of applied psychology of learning, or behavior analysis, espouses a bottom-up approach, the basis of understanding begins in basic research on behavioral principles. This article provides a narrative review of the field of laboratory experiments conducted to disentangle the learning processes of gambling behavior. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of learning principles in gambling that has been demonstrated under lab conditions and that may be of importance in the development of clinical applications when gambling has become a problem. Several processes, like the importance of delay and probability discounting, reinforcement without actual winning, and rule governed behavior have been experimentally verified. The common denominator appears to be that they impede extinction. Other areas, especially Pavlovian conditioning, are scarce in the literature. Our recommendations for the future would be to study Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning in interaction. Treatment programs should profit from strategies that serve to enhance extinction learning. We also conclude that online gambling should provide a promising environment for controlled research on how to limit excessive gambling, provided that the gambling companies are interested in that.

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“…However, the reel patterns on the basic slot machine used in these studies are generally easy to discriminate which makes the generalization account less likely. If the patterns were more difficult to discern from one another, or the win and near-miss stimuli were partitioned from other reel patterns by common outcomes [18] -as in the case of losses being disguised as wins [19] -then the generalization account would be more plausible. Furthermore, one would expect that as a person gains more experience playing a machine, they would become better at making discriminations between win and loss reel patterns.…”

Section: Near Misses As Global and Local Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Near-Miss Effect in Slot Machines: Over Half a Century Later

Jm¹,

Jjh²,

Ml³

2019

Preprint

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In games of chance, a near miss is said to occur when feedback for what is otherwise a loss approximates a win. For instance, obtaining “cherry-cherry-lemon” on a slot machine could be considered a near miss. Sixty-six years after B. F. Skinner first proposed the idea that near-miss events might be reinforcing continued play in slot machines, belief in this ‘near-miss effect’ has remained strong despite the troublesome experimental literature. The present study reviewed and experimentally assessed the near-miss effect as it pertains to the frequency of the gambling response. Experiment 1 used a tightly controlled resistance-to-extinction procedure in pigeons to evaluate the putative reinforcing effect of near misses relative to a control “far-miss” reel pattern. Experiment 2 extended Experiment 1’s procedure to human participants. The results of both experiments failed to support the near-miss effect hypothesis. Experiment 3 used a further simplified procedure to assess the validity of the resistance-to-extinction paradigm when a probable conditional reinforcer was present on the reel stimuli. Although a clear discriminative function was obtained from the reel, subsequent testing in extinction revealed no reinforcing function of this stimulus.

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Dual effects of ‘losses disguised as wins’ and near-misses in a slot machine game

Cited by 25 publications

References 38 publications

An empirical real-world study of losses disguised as wins in electronic gaming machines

An empirical real-world study of losses disguised as wins in electronic gaming machines

What can be learned about gambling from a learning perspective? A narrative review

The Near-Miss Effect in Slot Machines: Over Half a Century Later

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