Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004. / Adviser: Ron Frisch. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Manitoba (Canada), 2004. / Adviser: Ruth Berry. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

The present study extends the prior research on cognitive defusion byexamining behavioral change on a simulated slot machine. Participants wereexposed to an on-line slot machine fully manipulated by an experimenter. Arandomized control pretest-posttest design was used to assess the differences ingambling persistence and risk across groups (Defusion Control, Defusion withoutInformation, and Defusion with Information). Results yield a statisticallysignificant difference in persistence across time and a non-statistically significantdifference in risk across time. Findings from this study suggest that defusionexercises, when combined with accurate gambling related information, may helpreduce persistence of gambling behavior.

A descriptive analysis was conducted to examine the influence minimum bets 30 credits and 50 credits had on the actual bets wagered on slot machines that operated on fixed-lines. Results suggested that slots with the lower minimum bets correlated with higher wagers. There was a total of 107 participants actively gambling at two casinos located just outside of Chicago, Illinois. The participant pool was divided between 37 males and 70 females. On average, the participants who played the slot machines with a minimum bet of 30 credits actually bet more than the participants who played the slot machines with a minimum bet of 50 credits. More notably, results from a Chi-square test for significance suggested that there is a significant influence between the minimum bet required to play and the presence, or absence, of “minimizers” and “maximizers” (p <.05). Additional data analyses where also conducted that examined gender’s role and wagering tendencies, including an independent t-test. The main purpose of this paper was to examine minimizing and maximizing gambling behavior across low-value and higher-value machines.

The influence of a mental imagery task was examined to determine if imagining completing the gambling act could satiate the participant on gambling-related reinforcers and subsequently reduce gambling behavior. Thirty participants underwent a mental imagery task consisting of either imagining gambling on a slot machine or placing quarters in to a laundry machine. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in trials played on the slot machine for those who completed the gambling imagery task when compared to those in the laundry imagery group. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Gambling is a serious problem that affects the individual as well as the whole society. Multiple studies have investigated the effect of imagery tasks on gambling behavior. Whiting and Dixon (2013) investigated the effect of a gambling-related imagery task verses a laundry-related imagery task on gambling behavior. The current study extended Whiting and Dixon’s findings by comparing different outcome-specific imagery tasks on gambling behavior. The study included two groups: 1) winning imagery group (n=7), and 2) losing imagery group (n=7). Participants in the winning imagery group imagined themselves winging for 15 trials, while participants in the losing imagery group imagined themselves losing for 15 trials. Then both groups were given the opportunity to play a game of blackjack downloaded on a laptop for as long as they desired. Gambling intensity was measured by the total time played and the number of trials played. The Participants in the winning imagery group gambled significantly longer (p= 0.01) and played significantly more trials (p= 0.03) than those in the losing imagery group. Implications for pathological gambling treatment are discussed.

Game outcomes are generally thought to be the primary maintaining variables in gambling behavior. The influence of language and other verbal behaviors have been shown to moderate subsequent game play. The purpose of this study is to measure the behavioral sensitivity to changing contingencies when rules are given or self-generated compared to those that are not given rules. To date no study has compared contingency based trial and error learning, externally delivered rules and contextually cued responding when measuring behavioral sensitivity to changing contingencies in the context of roulette. An analysis of such behavior will shed light on the cause and effect relationships that describe gambling. Twenty-eight undergraduate and graduate students were recruited to play a game of simulated roulette with varying probabilities for each game option. Participants were assigned to 3 groups and were either given rules regarding game play, were not given rules or asked to complete a relational training exercise. Results demonstrated varying mean response allocation for each group and game option. Those who were given rules or who completed a relational training procedure demonstrated more flexible responding when confronted with changing contingencies.

The proliferation of gambling has exposed millions of Americans to contrived games in which casinos or other vendors hold a statistical and financial edge over a player. For most, these games represent a recreational pastime where finances are expended in exchange for entertainment experience. In games of skill, choices made by the gambler influence game probabilities, where poor choices reduce the odds of winning, thereby inflating the cost of this entertainment. Due to the overwhelming popularity of these games, interventions designed to promote optimal choice and improve strategy are socially valid. The current set of experiments were designed to analyze choice behavior in the context of blackjack and the outcomes related to various choices and strategy. Experiment I examined recreational blackjack player’s choices and the associated odds produced by these choices. The results found that recreational players made significant deviations from optimal strategies and that these choices produced financial losses that were far greater than those commonly advertised by the gaming industry. Experiment II investigated the relationship between self-reported strategy and authentic casino outcomes. The results found that authentic casino outcomes varied widely; those using poor strategy may contact small wins or substantial losses over short periods of play. Experiment III examined the efficacy of a behavior skills training procedure designed to promote optimal choices in blackjack and notably, to teach a specific skill in blackjack (sometimes referred to as card counting). The results indicate these skills could be taught using behavioral procedures and generalized to a naturalistic setting. Following training, three participants won money in a casino setting, likely improving the entertainment value and reducing the financial costs of the game. Overall the results suggest recreational players make significant errors and would likely benefit from training procedures designed to educate and promote optimal choice.

Nearly 2% of the population meets the diagnostic criteria for gambling disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The convergence of gambling and digital media has introduced new features to slot machines such as bonuses. Little research exists on the inclusion of bonuses in slot machine play, but early evidence suggests that these features may alter response allocation (Belisle, Owens, Dixon, Malkin, & Jordan, 2017). The current investigation examined two different types of bonuses currently available in slot machines: free spins and choice based bonuses. Using response allocation as the dependent variable, the effects of two types across dense and lean schedules were examined. Results of the two-way repeated measures ANOVA suggest a statistically significant effect of type of bonus, F (1,32) =6.031, p = .026, as well as win density, F (1,32) =8.598, p = .010. Limitations and avenues for further research are discussed.