Addiction: Cognitive explanation for gambling addiction

Question 1

What is cognitive bias?

Answer 1

A distortion of attention, memory and thinking.

Question 2

Explain expectations for gambing:

Answer 2

• Expectations are essential for the initiation of gambling- we all have expectations about the pros and cons of gambling.
• People who start gambling often believe that the pros (likelihood of winning) outweigh the cons (financial loss).
• They often also have unrealistic expectations about how gambling will help them cope with their emotions- e.g. they expect that gambling will boost their positive moods (by providing excitement), and reduce their negative moods (remove stress).
• These expectations increase the likelihood of gambling addiction.

Question 3

Explain cognitive biases for gambling addiction:

Answer 3

• Gamblers continue to gamble because of their cognitive biases, such as mistaken beliefs about luck.
• These biases influence how gamblers think about their behaviour, what they do and do not pay attention to, and what they remember and forget.
• E.g. a gambler who overestimates their chances of winning will ignore information that challenges that belief and selectively remembers whatever supports it.
• Cognitive biases can be divided into 4 categories- skills and judgement, ritual behaviours, selective recall, faulty perceptions.

Question 4

What are the 4 categories of cognitive biases?

Answer 4

• Skills and judgement
• Ritual behaviours
• Selective recall
• Faulty perceptions

Question 5

Explain skills and judgement as a category for cognitive biases:

Answer 5

Addicted gamblers have an illusion of control which means they over estimate their ability to influence a random event.

(e.g. being especially skilled at choosing lottery numbers)

Question 6

Explain ritual behaviours as a category for cognitive biases:

Answer 6

Addicted gamblers believe that they have a greater probability of winning because they are especially lucky or have engaged in superstitious activity.

(e.g. touched a certain item of clothing before placing a bet)

Question 7

Explain selective recall as a category for cognitive biases:

Answer 7

Gamblers can remember the details of their wins but they forget, ignore or minimise their losses, which are often interpreted as unexplainable mysteries.

Question 8

Explain faulty perceptions as a category for cognitive biases:

Answer 8

Gamblers have distorted views about the operation of chance, exemplified by gamblers-fallacy- the belief that a loosing streak cannot last and must always be followed by a win.

Question 9

Explain self-efficacy?

Answer 9

• The expectations we have about our ability to achieve a desired outcome- a key element in relapse.
• It is a cognitive process based on our expectations and perceptions.
• Gamblers that have a biased belief that they cannot permanently abstain from gambling relapse as they believe they will gamble again- setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy (the individual acts in a way that fulfills their expectations), allowing for reinforcement of the maladaptive behaviour.

Question 10

How does self-efficacy contribute to relapse?

Answer 10

• The person has a biased belief that they are not capable of abstaining permanently (e.g. they lack the skills or motivation), so they expect to gamble again.
• Sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy (as the individual acts in a way that fulfills their expectations), allowing for reinforcement of the maladaptive behaviour.

Question 11

How did Griffiths investigate cognitive biases in gamblers?

Answer 11

• He used the thinking out loud method (form of introspection) to compare the cognitive processes of regular slot machine gamblers and people who infrequently used the machines.
• The participants had to verbalise any thoughts they had while playing the machines.
• A content analysis clarified these thoughts into rational (“Wow I won 10p”) and irrational (“this machine likes me”).
• A semi-structured interview was used to ask participants about the degree of skill needed to fin on slot machines.

Question 12

What did Griffths find for his research into cognitive biases?

Answer 12

• There were no differences between regular and infrequent gamblers in objective behavioural measures (e.g. the regulars did not win more money)
• Regular gamblers made 2x more irrational verbalisations than infrequent gamblers. They were particularly prone to subject of control e.g. “I’m going to beat this machine”.
• Regular gamblers also overestimated the amount of skill needed to win at slot machines and considered themselves to be especially skilful at doing so.

Question 13

What are the 4 evaluation points for gambling addiction via cognitive theory?

Answer 13

1) Research support (S)
2) Further research support (S)
3) Methodological problems (L)
4) Not a true explanation (L)

Question 14

Explain research support (S) as an evaluation point for gambling addiction via cognitive theory:

Answer 14

• Cognitive theory supports the impact of cognitive biases
• Michalczuk studied 30 addicted gamblers attending a gambling clinic and compared them with 30 control group participants.
• The gamblers showed significantly higher levels of gambling-related cognitive biases of all types.
• They were also more impulsive and more likely to prefer immediate rewards, even if they were smaller (compared to larger, less frequent rewards). Because gamblers make gambling descisions impulsivel, they have a powerful tendancy towards biased thinking during play.
• Supports the view that there is a strong cognitive component to gambling addiction

Question 15

Explain further research support (S) as an evaluation point for gambling addiction via cognitive theory:

Answer 15

• McCusker and Gettings used a modified Stroop test.
• Participants had to identify as quickly as possible the colour of the ink a word was written in.
• It was found that addicted gamblers took longer to perform this task than controls but only when the words were gambling-related (e.g. win). They were unable to prevent the word meanings from interfering with the intended task.
• Suggests that gamblers have a cognitive bias to pay attention to gambling-related information that does not exist in non-gamblers.

Question 16

Explain methodological problem (L) as an evaluation point for gambling addiction via cognitive theory:

Answer 16

• The ‘thinking out loud’ method is a limitation.
• Research has found that what people say in gambling situations does not necessarily represent what they really think.
• Unserious/random remarks the gamblers make may not reflect an addicted gamblers actual beliefs about chance and skill. Researchers may instead get a misleading impression that gambler’s thought processes are irrational when they are not.
• Therefore findings may not be valid because gambler’s remarks do not express their genuine beliefs.

Question 17

Explain not a true explanation (L) as an evaluation point for gambling addiction via cognitive theory:

Answer 17

• Cognitive biases do not truly explain gambling addiction as they are only proximate.
• E.g. they describe the addicted gambler’s mistaken beliefs about chance and luck but do not explain what causes these beliefs.
• We have to go further back in the chain of causation to find the root explanation, which may be biological.
• Cognitive biases themselves may be caused by defects in brain neurochemistry (e.g. abnormal dopamine levels)