Explanation for gambling addiction- Learning Theory Flashcards
What is the role of vicarious reinforcement in gambling addiction?
- Experience of seeing others being rewarded for gambling through pleasure, enjoyment, money
- Direct or indirect (newspaper, magazine, media)
- Triggers a desire for the same reinforcement (+ in non-gamblers)
What is the role of direct positive and negative reinforcement in gambling addiction?
When someone starts gambling, there are 2 sources of direct positive reinforcement:
1) Winning money
2) The ‘buzz’ accompanying gambling
Gambling= escape (negative reinforcement as gambling offers a distraction from aversive stimuli)
What is partial reinforcement?
A behaviour is not rewarded everytime but is rewarded some of the time
What is the role of partial reinforcement in gambling addiction?
- Creates persistent behaviour
- Only some bets may be rewarded so there is an unpredictability about which pay out
What is variable reinforcement?
A type of partial reinforcement in which a behaviour is reinforced after an unpreedictable period of time/number of responses (element of the unknown)
What is the role of variable reinforcement in gambling addiction?
- Behaviour is rewarded intermittently producing most persistent learning
- Reward is given after an unpredictable number of responses (varying amounts of time)
- Algorithm is programmed to be unpredictable
- E.g: slot machine may pay out after 8 spins but not on every 8th spin
- It takes longer for learning to be established under this schedule but once established, it is more reistant to extinction- explains why people continue despite big loss
- Knows they will not win with every gamble but ill eventually win if they persist
What is the role of cue reactivity in gambling addiction?
- Explains how behavioural addiction is maintained and reinstated after relapse
- Experienced gamblers ecnounter 2ndary reinforcers (atmosphere of betting shop, sounds, horse racing channel, etc), which cue arousal that is craved by gambler
- Cues in social/media environments so hard to avoid
- Offer continuous low level reminders of pleasure associated with gambling- make relapse predictable
Strength-
I- Research support
D- Dickerson observed gambling behaviour in betting offices, comparing high and low frequency gamblers. High frequency gamblers were more likely to place bets in last 2 mins, due to excitement of build up- excitement is rewarding so delay betting to prolong it
E- Evidence for role of positive reinforcement in real world setting
Limitation-
I- Methodological issues with research support
D- Gambling behaviour directly observed over 14 weeks by one researcher only. No way of ensuring reliability. More effective if he had inter-observer reliability (2 observers)
E- Observer bias not eliminated so invalid findings
Limitation-
I- Limited explanation
D- Learning theory does not explain gambling addiction when there is a delay between placing bet and outcome (horse racing). Conditioning should be less effective when oitcome comes a while after betting
E- Learning theory is limited, as it does not provide a complete explanation
Strength-
I- Explains the failure to stop gambling
D- Conditioning is an automatic process as it does not require active decisions to be made. Even if addicted gamblers are determined to quit, they repeatedly fail due to their conscious desire to give up conflicting with conditioning process
E- Explains common everyday experience of most gamblers
Evaluation extra-
I- Cycle of addiction
Strength:
D- Addiction begins through vicarious reinforcement, reinforcement schedules explain its persistence, and cue reactivity explains relapse after abstinence (full cycle of addiction well explained)
Limitation:
D- Some parts of cycle poorly explained. Does not explain why some gamble but do not become addicted. Suggests role of other factors such as genetic/individual differences
E- mostly explains cycle but may be useful to look to other explanations too (i.e. cognitive)
