Evaluation: Cognitive Biases

Question 1

Mark Griffiths (1994)

Answer 1

Compared verbalisations of 30 regular gamblers with 30 non-regular gamblers while they were playing on a fruit machine. He found that regular gamblers showed many more irrational verbalisations, including the heuristics.

Question 2

Description or explanation?

Answer 2

Explanations of behaviour should be able to predict what will happen in certain circumstances, and one of the features of cognitive biases is that it is impossible to predict when a particular bias might be used.

Question 3

Griffiths (2013)

Answer 3

The first time there was a triple rollover in the UK national lottery, the media reported that the number 13 had come up fewer times than any other. In this case those using representativeness bias would pick 13, and those using availability bias would not pick it. Cannot predict behaviour

Question 4

Issues with research (questionnaires)

Answer 4

For example Gambling Belief Questionnaire, rely on the gambler being honest about what they are thinking. If a gambler is aware their thinking is irrational they may be reluctant to admit it.

Question 5

Everyone exhibits these cognitive biases

Answer 5

The same cognitive biases can be found among non-gamblers and those who gamble but do not become addicted.

Question 6

Hayley Baboushkin et al. (2001)

Answer 6

Suggests that many heuristics are appropriate in everyday situations but not appropriate when dealing with chance events - which is what problem gamblers fail to realise.