Using deliberate mind-wandering to escape negative mood states: Implications for gambling to escape

Abstract

Background and aims: Slot machines are a pervasive form of gambling in North America. Some gamblers describe entering “the slot machine zone”—a complete immersion into slots play to the exclusion of all else. Methods: We assessed 111 gamblers for mindfulness (using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)), gambling problems (using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)), depressive symptoms (using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), and boredom proneness (using the Boredom Proneness Scale). In a counterbalanced order, participants played a slot machine simulator and completed an auditory vigilance task. During each task, participants were interrupted with thought probes to assess whether they were: on-task, spontaneously mind-wandering, or deliberately mind-wandering. After completing each task, we retrospectively assessed flow and affect. Compared to the more exciting slots play, we propose that gamblers may use deliberate mind-wandering as a maladaptive means to regulate affect during a repetitive vigilance task. Results: Our key results were that gamblers reported greater negative affect following the vigilance task (when compared to slots) and greater positive affect following slots play (when compared to the vigilance task). We also found that those who scored higher in problem gambling were more likely to use deliberate mind-wandering as a means to cope with negative affect during the vigilance task. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we found that the number of “deliberately mind-wandering” responses accounted for unique variance when predicting problem gambling severity (over and above depression, mindfulness, and boredom proneness). Conclusions: These assessments highlight a potential coping mechanism used by problem gamblers in order to deal with negative affect.

Disentangling the Phenomenology of Mind-Wandering

“…Our findings regarding the relationship between MW and anxiety and depressive symptoms are similar to our previous results with adolescents (Figueiredo et al, 2020). Those from Kruger et al, 2020 highlighted the important role of depressive and anxiety symptoms for excessive MW.…”

Understanding the Slot Machine Zone

“…Several studies have shown significant correlations between slot machine zone experiences and positive affect [47,52], indicating that zoning is subjectively pleasant. Other work has shown positive relationships with depression symptomatology [21, 52; but see 56], including relationships between problem gambling, depression, the slot machine zone, and lower rates of mindful attention outside of gambling [46,52,57]. Consistent with the influential Pathways Model of problem gambling [60], these findings collectively suggest that positively reinforcing gambling events (i.e.…”

“…Note: The two dominant constructs for understanding the slot machine zone (Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory, and dissociation from Jacobs' General Theory of Addictions), appear at odds with respect to whether the experience is positive, benign, harmful, or pathological. Dark flow is a variant on flow theory that refers specifically to negative consequences that incidentally occur during prolonged gambling in a flow state [21,52,54,57] 'positive' dissociative phenomena during gambling remains unclear. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), which includes a greater number of items specific to depersonalization and derealization and queries dissociative experiences in all areas of participants' lives [72], has been positively associated with Gamblers' DQ ratings [19,30].…”

“…That said, many of these elements have yet to be empirically tested (Table 2). From a methodological perspective, experienced gamblers may only enter the slot machine zone when using either real or highly realistic gambling products, and although gambling research is increasingly turning to authentic products and field studies [57,62], authentic gambling products do not readily allow researchers to modify specific structural characteristics for rigorously controlled designs.…”

Do pupillary responses during authentic slot machine use reflect arousal or screen luminance fluctuations? A proof-of-concept study

“…The recording of psychophysiological measures during gambling may provide a window into the psychological processes involved in gambling (e.g., positive reinforcement, excitement) and may further uncover individual differences relevant to the risk of experiencing gambling-related harms. Beginning in the 1980s (e.g., [ 8 ]), a range of physiological measures have been examined in relation to gambling, including various cardiographic indices [ 9 – 12 ], electrodermal indices [ 13 – 16 ], muscular indices [ 17 – 19 ], and body temperature [ 20 ]. Some of these measures have been further linked to problem gambling status, although not consistently so [ 21 – 23 ].…”