Awareness of independence of events and erroneous perceptions while gambling.

ABSTRACT

The majority of individuals behaves and think irrationally when gambling. The fundamental mistake committed is to rely on previous events to predict the outcome of the game. This study examines if information, reminding the players about independence between events, while gambling influences their perception of the game and their motivation to continue gambling. Thirty-one occasional gamblers, 18 men and 13 women aged 20-64 years old (M=40), participated in the study. The hypotheses predicted that reminders about independence of events would decrease the number of erroneous perceptions and that the motivation to pursue the game would be weaker among participants who received reminders. Results confirmed both hypotheses. Interventions based on these results could significantly increase responsible gambling.