Date of Award
12-2005
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Cynthia J. Pietras
Second Advisor
Dr. Lisa E. Baker
Third Advisor
Dr. Mark P. Alavosius
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Three experiments using a parametric, single-subject design investigated gambling behavior in eight adult humans on a slot-machine simulation. Participants were staked with credits exchangeable for money prior to each session. Experiment 1 a was a systematic replication of Weatherly and Brandt (2004), which investigated the effects of percentage payback (the amount of money gained as a proportion of the amount of money bet) on gambling. Percentage payback was varied from 50% to 110% across conditions. Consistent with Weatherly and Brandt, gambling did not vary systematically across percentage-payback conditions. Experiment 1 b replicated Experiment 1 a but also included forced-exposure sessions prior to experimental sessions to guarantee a minimal exposure to the percentage-payback conditions. The results were similar to Experiment 1 a. In Experiment 2, win probability and size were manipulated across conditions. Only one of three participants showed sensitivity to this manipulation. In all experiments, most participants tended to place fewer bets as the experiment progressed. Most participants reported the use of a gambling strategy that was consistent with their performance on the gambling task. Overall, these results highlight the utility of studying gambling with procedures that give participants extensive experience with gambling conditions.
Recommended Citation
Brandt, Andrew Ellis, "Gambling on a Simulated Slot Machine under Conditions of Repeated Play" (2005). Masters Theses. 4602.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4602