maintenance

• positive reinforcement

  being given something to enforce behaviour. When a gambler wins money, it creates a 'buzz', positively reinforcing that behaviour. Near misses are also a positive reinforcement - short burst of excitement/tension
• negative reinforcement

  removal of something negative/uncomfortable to enforce behaviour. Gambling provides an escape from reality. Temporary relief from stress/anxiety
• partial reinforcement

  when only some instances of behaviour are rewarded. Meaning gamblers behaviour is only rewarded sometimes. Individual learns to persist for longer for continued reinforcement e.g timing of fruit machine
• variable reinforcement

  a type of partial reinforcement. Operant conditioning - when a reward is delivered at intervals that change each time. A variable reinforcement schedule creates the most persistent gambling behaviours. Gamblers continue to feed money