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Gambling Addiction: Cognitive Theory - Coggle Diagram
Gambling Addiction: Cognitive Theory
Assumptions:
Cognitive factors play a role in initiating and maintaining addiction, especially behavioural addictions like gambling
Expectancy Theory:
If the benefits of gambling outweigh the costs then addiction is likely
This weighing up is unconscious
Gambler's Fallacy:
Gambler's fallacy
- the belief that a losing streak cannot last and is always about to be ended with a win
Illusion of control
- the belief that we can influence events that are ultimately determined by random chance
Cognitive biases:
Skill and judgement - gambling addicts overestimates this eg. fruit machine, scratch cards
Personal traits/ritual behaviour - lucky, superstitious activity eg. car parking space
Selective recall - remember wins, forget or discount losses
Faulty perceptions - distorted view about chance eg. poor maths
Evaluation:
Griffiths (1994)
: Cognitive bias and gambling
Procedure:
Introspection to compare the cognitive processes of regular slot machine gamblers and people who used them occasionally - ppts had to verbalise thoughts as they played
Content-analysis classified utterances into rational and irrational statements
Semi structured interview - ppts asked about the degree of skill required to win, behavioural measures recorded
Findings:
Found no differences between regular and occasional gamblers in objective behavioural measures
Regular gamblers did make almost x6 as many irrational statements than the occasionals (14%, 2.5%) - particularly prone to an illusion of control
Regular overestimated the amount of skill required and considered themselves to be especially skilful
Evaluation:
Quantitive and qualitative DVs
Validity of the thinking aloud method (introspection)
Reliability of content analysis
Biased sample (29 male regular gamblers)
Application:
May help to rehabilitate addicts via CBT
McCusker and Gettings: (1997)
cognitive theory of gambling
Findings:
Problem gamblers showed attentional bias towards gambling-related words compared with neutral and drug-related
Control group (non gamblers and spouses of the exp group) did not show this effect
Evaluation:
Test is not realistic therefore not applicable to real life
Procedure:
Stroop test with gambling related words and neutral/drug-related words
Conclusion:
Gamblers must think differently to non-gamblers and it must be cognitive as spouses who are also exposed are not affected
Self-efficacy theory:
expectations we have about our ability to achieve a desired outcome, and is a key element in relapse
Performance accomplishment
- previous success on a task eg. has previously given up the addiction
Vicarious experience
- others' experience with the task eg. watched a friend give up an addiction
Verbal persuasion
- how effective others are at convincing you that you can do something eg. therapist may motivate you through convincing
Physiological states
- how you interpret the emotional arousal you feel eg. less anxious?