gambling addiction cognitive explanation

Initiation of gambling

A persons decision to start gambling that depends on their expectations of future costs and benefits. If a person expects the benefits to outweigh the costs, they are more likely to start gambling

What does the cognitive explanation focus on

The way we think

Expectancy theory

Where peoples thinking aligns with the expectations of what will happen when they gamble

Future costs of gambling

Financial losses, anxiety

Future benefits of gambling

Financial gains, enjoyment, control

Maintenance of gambling

When someone who is gambling continues despite costs now outweighing the benefits, we need to explain what is maintaining their behaviour. Expectations are not rational or logical because their thoughts are biased and disorted

3 ways that thoughts can become biased or distorted leading to maintenance of gambling

Irrational thoughts

Cognitive biases

Illusion of control

What are addicted gamblers guided by

Irraitonal thoughts about how luck, probability and chance operate

Gamblers fallacy

The mistaken belief that if something happens more often than usual based on the previous outcomes (e.g. heads tossed in a row) it will happen less in the future)

How is a gamblers cognitive bias biased

It is biased towards positive outcomes e.g. near miss bias

Near miss bias

Feeling of winning as they nearly won they dont see it as a loss they still feel like they have won because they got a buzz making them carry on gambling as they nearly won

Example of near miss

If a gamble has bet all of their earnings on a horse that comes 2nd or 3rd in a race… instead of feeling like they have lost, they feel they almost won

Illusion of control

Gambler believing they can influence the gambling outcome

Example of illusion of control

Gambler doing superstitious behaviour (touching a piece of clothing or bringing tokens) can alter their odds of wining or gambler thinking they have special knowledge that makes them experts

Michalckuk et al (2011) study

30 addicted gamblers who attended the uk national problem gambling clinic. Compared with non gambling P’s. The addicted gamblers showed more and stronger gambling related cognitive distortions of all types. For example ‘now were motoring, we’ll be here all night’ ; ‘these cards after not my friends’ ; ‘I’m going for red its my lucky colour’ ; ‘now I’ve won there’s no stopping me’ ; ‘at last my happy time is here’

What part of michalczuk et al (2011) is illusion of control

‘I’m going for red, its my lucky colour’

What part of michalczuk et al (2011) is expectancy theory

‘Now I’ve won there’s no stopping me’

Relapse of gambling

Relapse due to memories of their big wins (and overestimating the benefits) and not remembering their big or small losses (and underestimate costs).

What does relapse of gambling make an addict vulnerable to

Distorted cost through cost benefit analysis

Griffith (1994) research aim

To compare the thought processes of regular gamblers (RG) to non-regular gamblers (NRG)

Griffiths (1994) research method

30 RG and 30 NRG were instructed to use the ‘thinking out loud’ method as they gambled. These verbalisations were recorded and placed as rational or irrational

Griffiths (1994) research results

Rags made 6 times more irrational verbalisatons and were prone to the illusion of control (‘this machine likes me’). RGs thought they were more skilled at fruit slot machines

Griffiths research (1994) conclusion

Cognitive factors play a significant role in maintaining gambling behaviour

Strength of Griffiths research (1994)

Cognitive approach has practical applications because there ae effective treatments based on the cognitive approach. Treatments can directly challenge gamblers cognitive biases and irrational thoughts with more rational ways of thinking about gambling. This means that the theory is a valid explanation as the treatments based upon the assumptions of the cognitive approach work.

Weakness of Griffiths (1994) research

Expectancy theory cannot fully explain the link between cognitions and gambling. There are many people who have distorted thoughts about gambling- but very few ever take up gambling and become addicted.

What percentage of gamblers have difficulty regulating their behaviour

1-3%