Learning Theory

• Outcome expectancy is the degree to which a person believes that a particular outcome will occur.
• The Role of Operant Conditioning 


  Positive reinforcement from winning, prospect of winning and sounds
• Negative reinforcement maintains gambling behaviours through providing the gambler with an escape from their day to day struggles, due to the shift of focus
• Contiguity describes the co-occurrence of a behaviour and consequences.
• Winning is stronger than losing small amounts of money - due to this the brain does not register losing as a punishment (too slow)
• Winning (positive reinforcement) is an immediate response to behaviour, making a strong association. Losing on a slot machine is a slower process as the negative feeling does not arise until a series of losses
• Reward of winning is a much stronger feeling than the punishment of losing
• Slot machines work on a partial and variable reinforcement


  Ratios and intervals at which wins occur at are variable (random)
• Variable / partial reinforcement is designed to keep players playing for as long as possible, as they cannot predict when the next small win or ‘jackpot’ will occur.
• Classical conditioning - positive associations between the lights and sounds of casinos and gambling apps WITH wining money
• In gambling addicts, a high degree of self-efficacy and the expectation of a win drives forward gambling behaviour
• Self-efficacy is the extent to which individuals believe that they are in control of their destiny
• Low levels cues continuously provoke suffers to further engage with gambling activity. These act as secondary reinforcers
• SLT can be used to explain gambling behaviour through the modelling process (Attention, Retention, Reproduction and Motivation)
• Supporting evidence - Parke and Griffiths (2004) found reinforcement has a key role to play in feelings

  of excitement. Gamblers didn’t see losses as punishment, but as ‘near wins’.
• Cannot explain all types of gambling addiction Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) identified three categories of addicts: Behaviourally conditioned gamblers, emotionally vulnerable gamblers and antisocial impulsive gamblers.
• Overlooks individual differences - Learning theory cannot explain why some people will only occasionally gamble or gamble once and have a big win and never gamble again.
• Overlooks gender differences - men were more likely than women to gamble for social reasons, but women were more likely to gamble to relieve stress, loneliness, and boredom.
• Reductionist explanation of behaviour - is environmentally reductionist as it explains all gambling behaviour as the result of stimulus-response interactions and reinforcement.