Griffiths Flashcards
What are the 6 cognitive distortions regular gamblers use?
Illusion of control: can control random events such as lottery
Flexible attributions: they explain their win in terms of skill and loss as external factor like bad luck
Representativeness: the mistake of believing random events have a pattern, probability of winning will increase with length of ongoing losses
Availability: more likely to remember times we or others win rather than loose
Illusory correlations: people believe 2 variables relate when in fact they are not (softly role dice for low number)
Fixation on frequency: gamblers measure their success using absolute tester than relative frequency, rg win more than nrg as play more
What was the aim of Griffiths’ study?
To investigate cognitive bias involved in gambling behaviour
What were the 4 hypotheses in the study?
1) there would be no sig diff between regular and non regular gamblers on objective measures of skill
2) regular gamblers would produce more internal verbalisations than no regular gamblers
3) regular gamblers would be more skill orientated than non-regular gamblers on subjective measures of self report.
4) thinking aloud participants would take longer to complete task than not thinking aloud
What was the method of this study?
Quasi experiment
IV: regular or non regular gamblers
DV: objective measures of skill on fruit machine, content analysis of utterances of thinking aloud, subjective measures of skill perception from interview
(Further IV being half regular and half non regular on thinking aloud)
Who were the sample in this study?
60 participants, mean age (23.4 years)
44m 16f
All played on fruit machine at least 1 time in life.
Regular being at least once a week, NRG once a month or less
RG: 29m 1f
Nrg: 15m 15f
What was the procedure of this study?
All were asked to gamble on ‘fruitskill’. Each participant was given £3 which gave them 30 free gambles.
All asked to stay on to 60 plays which means break even and win back 3. After 60 could keep going or stop.
Skill: ability of individual to affect the outcome of the gambling positively. There were 7 objectives.
He also measures irrational verbalisations by the thinking aloud technique (say everything I your mind, talk as continually as possible, clearly, don’t hesitate if possible, don’t justify thoughts.)
Post experimental semi structured interview carried out to measure participants subjective opinions of skill level.
What are the 7 objectives used to measure skill level of gamblers?
Total plays (in a session) Total time (mins of play) Play rate (plays per minute in session) End stake(total winnings in 10p pieces after session is over) Wins (wins in a session) Win rate (time) (mins between each win) Win rate (plays) (number of plays between each win)
What is an example of an irrational verbalisation and a rational one?
Irrational: personifying fruit machine (it likes me), talking to machine or swearing
Rational: reference to loosing, swearing, general questions
What were the results of the study?
Behavioural data:
no difference in objective measures of skill between regular and non regular.
Although there was no significant difference in total wins, regular stayed on longer suggesting there are skilful aspects.
Thinking aloud took longer to complete task than non thinking aloud
Verbalisations:
Regular gamblers: 14% irrational verbalisations
Non regular: 2.5% irrational verbalisations
Nrg: more verbalisations in confusion and non understanding
Regular gamblers used a variety of heuristics (flexible attributions, illusion of control, personification)
Skill variables:
Regular gamblers more skill orientated than non regular
Regular claimed to be above average skill or totally skilled
Nrg blamed to be below average skill or totally unskilled
How many participants broke even and stayed on machine?
14 regular broke even and 10 stayed on machine till lost all money
7 non regulars broke even and 2 stayed on till lost all money
What are the conclusions of this study?
Regulars are more skillfull
Regulars believe they are more skillfull than they are
Gamblers know they will lose but play with money not for it
Regular gamblers make more irrational verbalisations demonstrating cognitive bias
CBT could help problem gamblers
What is the background to Griffiths’ study?
Cognitive differences between regular and non regular gamblers on fruit machines. To see if they display cognitive distortion.
Interested in cognitive biases gamblers make to encourage to continue.
Wage afar argues gamblers use cognitive distractions called heuristics, a set of rules to solve problems.
