Exploring the Motivational and Emotional Aspects of Gambling

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This proposal investigates the motivational and emotional consequences of engaging in two very popular activities – namely gambling and gaming. Anyone who has played scratch cards has experienced the frustration of “just missing” winning the jackpot. We have shown that for example getting two of the three symbols needed to win a large prize is a very common outcome in scratch cards that leads to feelings of frustration, but also the motivation to buy more cards. Here we will show that the frustration of these so called “near-misses” not only affects how we feel but also leads to increases in physiological arousal. This is important because arousal increases have been thought of as one of the central reinforcers of gambling behavior. We will examine the emotional consequences of these near-misses in different types of scratch card games. In our slot machine investigations we have documented that one of the reasons frequent players enjoy playing is because they enter an unusual state of hyper-focused attention that they call “the zone”. While in this zone players forget about everything else except the game. They experience distortions in the passage of time. Their descriptions are reminiscent of “flow” states which are thought to be related to positive “peak” experiences. Because in the gambling context forgetting all else except the game and not realizing how much time has passed has negative consequences (i.e., spending more time and money than intended). In acknowledgement of these negative consequences we refer to this state as “dark flow”. Research on flow states suggests that they are achieved when there is an optimal balance of skill and challenge. If a game is too easy it will be boring, if it is too hard it will be frustrating. If it is challenging but players can advance in the game it induces flow. We will look at flow in gaming and gambling contexts. In one series of studies we will investigate flow in the context of the hugely popular game Candy Crush. This game has elements of skill and as players advance difficulty increases. We propose that one of the factors that makes this game so popular is that it induces flow. We will also look at (dark) flow in video games and in poker. A final line of investigation will be to explore a new class of slot machines that include elements of skill. We will explore whether the addition of skill components to standard slots games exacerbates dark flow. Our research has direct implications for policy involving the regulations surrounding slot machines and other forms of gambling. It also will provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students seeking to learn experimental techniques and ultimately how to shape policy.