Losses disguised as wins evoke the reward positivity event-related potential in a simulated machine gambling task.
Psychophysiology
; 61(6): e14541, 2024 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38385660
ABSTRACT
Electronic gambling machines include a suite of design characteristics that may contribute to gambling-related harms and require more careful attention of regulators and policymakers. One strategy that has contributed to these concerns is the presentation of "losses disguised as wins" (LDWs), a type of salient losing outcome in which a gambling payout is less than the amount wagered (i.e., a net loss), but is nonetheless accompanied by the celebratory audio-visual stimuli that typically accompany a genuine win. These events could thereby be mistaken for gains, or otherwise act as a reward signal, reinforcing persistent gambling, despite being a loss. This study aimed to determine whether LDWs evoke a reward positivity component in a task modeled on slot machine gambling. A prominent account of the reward positivity event-related potential suggests that it is evoked during the positive appraisal of task-related feedback, relative to neutral or negative events, or that it is evoked by neural systems that implement the computation of a positive reward prediction error. We recruited 32 individuals from university recruitment pools and asked them to engage in a simple gambling task designed to mimic key features of a slot machine design. The reward positivity was identified using temporospatial principal components analysis. Results indicated a more positive reward positivity following LDWs relative to clear losses, consistent with the theory that LDWs contribute to positive reinforcement of continued gambling, despite being net losses.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Recompensa
/
Eletroencefalografia
/
Potenciais Evocados
/
Jogo de Azar
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychophysiology
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Austrália