Explanations for gambling addiction: cognitive theory

• Expectancy theory

  Expectancies are at the heart of cognitive explanations of gambling. 

  Human beings as a rule form expectations about future costs and benefits of behaviour

  • and this drives an awful lot of our behaviours, including gambling.

  If they expect the benefits of gambling to outweigh the costs, then addiction becomes more likely. 

  Whilst this may sound like a conscious, rational process - it is not!
• Self efficacy

  Refers to our own expectations of our abilities. 

  In this context, self efficacy refers to the belief that our behaviour will result in a desired outcome i.e. a win. 

  It can explain why some people relapse into gambling after successfully abstaining - an individual takes up gambling again because they simply do not believe that they are capable of giving it up. 

  This then results in a self fulfilling prophecy
• Cognitive biases

  The cause of gambling addiction lies in the common beliefs that addicts have about gambling. 

  These cognitive biases are accompanied by specific types of thinking, attention and memory processes linked to the beliefs

  Gambling addiction develops and is maintained because the addict pays more attention to gambling related information and remembers it selectively
• Cognitive biases 

  Rickwood et al (2010) classify these common cognitive biases and distortions into four categories:

  • Skill and judgement
  • Personal traits / ritual behaviours
  • Selective recall
  • Faulty perceptions
• Cognitive biases - Skills and judgements

  Gambling addicts have an illusion of control, which means they overestimate their ability to influence random events (e.g. being especially skilled at choosing lottery numbers or at pulling a slot machine)
• Cognitive biases - Personal traits / ritual behaviours

  Gambling addicts believe that they have a greater probability of winning because they are especially lucky or they engaged in some superstitious behaviour
• Cognitive biases - Selective recall

  Gamblers can remember the details of their wins but they forget, ignore or otherwise discount their losses, which are often interpreted as completely unexplainable mysteries.

  Cognitive biases - Faulty perceptions

  Addicted gamblers have distorted views about the operation of chance, exemplified by the gambler’s fallacy

  • the belief that a losing streak cannot last and is always about to be ended by a win.
• What does the cognitive explanation of gambling addiction have support from?

  Research evidence
• What is the cognitive explanation of gambling addiction?

  The cognitive explanation has support from research evidence
• What did the study by Michalczuk et al. (2011) find?

  Addicted gamblers showed higher levels of gambling-related distortions and were more impulsive
• How do the findings of the Michalczuk et al. (2011) study support the cognitive explanation of gambling addiction?

  The findings suggest there is a strong cognitive component to gambling addiction
• What is the link between the cognitive explanation and the findings of the Michalczuk et al. (2011) study?

  Addicted gamblers make gambling decisions impulsively due to distorted thinking
• What is the role of automatic processing in gambling behaviour?

  It influences attention to gambling-related information
• What method did Gettings et al (1997) use in their study?

  A modified Stroop procedure
• What task did participants perform in the modified Stroop procedure?

  Identifying the ink colour of words
• How did gamblers perform on the Stroop task compared to non-gamblers?

  Gamblers took longer with gambling-related words
• What does the delay in gamblers' performance indicate?

  Automatic interference from gambling-related words
• What cognitive bias do gamblers exhibit according to the study?

  An automatic cognitive bias towards gambling information
• How does this study support the cognitive explanation of addiction?

  It shows cognitive biases operate unconsciously
• What is a key difference between gamblers and non-gamblers in terms of cognitive processing?

  Gamblers have a bias that non-gamblers lack
• What has knowledge of cognitive factors led to?

  Development of effective treatments
• What implication does the difference in thinking between gamblers and non-gamblers have?

  It has valuable implications for effective treatment
• How do cognitive treatments like CBT help gamblers?

  They address distorted thinking directly
• Who pointed out the link between cognitive distortions and brain neurochemistry?

  Luke Clark
• What is suggested about the thinking of gamblers compared to non-gamblers?

  They may have systematically different ways of thinking
• What is the relationship between cognitive distortions and brain neurochemistry according to Luke Clark?

  Cognitive distortions have an underlying cause in brain neurochemistry
• What are the key components of cognitive treatments for gamblers?

  • Address distorted thinking
  • Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Tailored to gamblers' unique thought patterns
• What are the implications of cognitive differences between gamblers and non-gamblers for treatment?

  • Need for specialized treatment approaches
  • Understanding of unique cognitive processes
  • Potential for improved treatment outcomes