This past weekend I went to a casino for the first time in my life. After spending the entire time at the slot machines, I realized how easy it would be to develop a gambling addiction. After looking in the textbook for some more information on addictions I found a few reasons why people might become addicted to gambling.
When a person gambles they are continually reinforced. Positive reinforcement, gaining something, is an effective way to increase behaviors. In a casino winning money would be that positive reinforcer. After hitting a button on a slot machine, a second later I learn if I either won or lost money. This immediacy of reinforcement is also very strong and would help to increase behaviors. While at the casino I became "hot" and won a lot of money (ok, it was really only $3) in a short period of time. This reinforcement only made me want to press that button again and again.
I always thought that loosing money would be an effective way to stop the behavior of gambling and it would negate the reinforcement. However, punishment in general is ineffective. The loss of money is not a strong as the reinforcement one gets when winning money. I noticed this when I started loosing money, but I still kept playing the slots hoping to gain some of it back.
In the textbook it talks about high sensation seekers (pg. 380). It states that high sensation seekers are motivated by the excitement rather than the money when gambling. People who are low sensation seekers show "aversive reactivity to risky sources of motivation." By this definition I would place myself on the low sensation seeker side. I am not a fan of gambling because it is too risky, there is no guarantee of winning.
Do you think there are other sources of motivation that may help to explain gambling or addictions in general? Have you ever gone gambling and noticed some of these concepts?
I have gone gambling several times, but for some reason I always end up coming out even! which is a plus for me, and I think thats why I sometimes find myself going back to a casino. I think that what you talked about for addiction and gambling is definitely true. When I go gambling I feel that if I win money, it is a positive thing, but if I lose money, I can keep going and try and make it into a positive by winning more money. When I am in the zone of hitting that button over and over again for the excitment of winning, when I am losing I find my self more motivated to win. I feel as though I can win and I will win it just will take a little more time. I know people who do not gamble because yes, it is very risky to gamble your money away. I would have to say I am in the middle of the sensation seeker scale, because if I have money it is easier for me to gamble it away and say it was only 50 bucks I still have plenty until I get paid next.