Why are Some Games More Addictive than Others: The Effects of Timing and Payoff on Perseverance in a Slot Machine Game

Abstract

Manipulating different behavioral characteristics of gambling games can potentially affect the extent to which individuals persevere at gambling, and their transition to problematic behaviors. This has potential impact for mobile gambling technologies and responsible gambling interventions. Two laboratory models pertinent to this are the partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) and the trial spacing effect. Both of these might speed up or delay the acquisition and extinction of conditioned behavior. We report an experiment that manipulated the rate of reinforcement and inter trial interval (ITI) on a simulated slot machine where participants were given the choice between gambling and skipping on each trial, before perseverative gambling was measured in extinction, followed by measurements of the illusion of control, depression and impulsivity. We hypothesized that longer ITI’s in conjunction with the low rates of reinforcement observed in gambling would lead to greater perseverance. We further hypothesized, given that timing is known to be important in displaying illusory control and potentially in persevering in gambling, that prior exposure to longer intervals might affect illusions of control. An interaction between ITI and rate of reinforcement was observed, as low reinforced gamblers with a long ITI gambled for longer. Respondents also displayed extinction and a PREE. Gamblers exposed to a higher rate of reinforcement gambled for longer in acquisition. Impulsivity was associated with extended perseverance in extinction, and more depressed gamblers in the high reinforcement short ITI group persevered for longer. Performance in the contingency judgment failed to support the second hypothesis: the only significant contrast observed was that participants became better calibrated as the task progressed.

Criteria for conceptualizing behavioural addiction should be informed by the underlying behavioural mechanism

“…We would expect to see other features common in gambling and substance addictions, such as a persistence in the behaviour after the reinforcing properties of the behaviour have been removed [9]. For example, the pattern of rewards in some games can lead some gamblers to continue to gamble long after they have stopped winning [10]. Similarly, alcohol-dependent people continue to drink long after they cease to enjoy drinking.…”

Gambling on Smartphones: A Study of a Potentially Addictive Behaviour in a Naturalistic Setting

“…Two participants whose data were analysed at a trial level were excluded from this analysis; in one case, the participant's phone was destroyed during the experimental period, and in the second, the participant could not be followed up. The number of gambles made during acquisition predicted the number of gambles during extinction (b = 0.0214, SE = 0.008, t = 2.728, p = 0.0117, multiple R 2 = 0.237, adjusted R 2 = 0.205) 1 . Table 1 shows how the decision to stop early is made based on outcome.…”

“…The behavioural literature has identified that increases in the latency between reinforcements is associated with increased acquisition of learned behaviours [1,13], as well as non-reinforcing events (i.e., near-misses) that have structural and aesthetic similarities to wins [14,15]. When applied to gambling's random ratio schedule of reinforcement, there is the potential for an additive risk of harm.…”

“…This is a general associative phenomenon, sensitive to the rate of reinforcement on many different schedules of reinforcement [22], and the magnitude of reinforcement [18], with greater positive reinforcement associated with longer delays. Changes in PRP affect perseverance at gambling when reinforcement is suppressed [1], for instance when gamblers are exposed to an unavoidable string of losses.…”

“…There is evidence that certain schedules of reward common in gambling are particularly resistant to extinction [1]. Gambling disorder is the only behavioural addiction currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association [2].…”