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Hoarding all of the chips: Slot machine gambling and the foraging for coins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2019

Mike James Ferrar Robinson Open the ORCID record for Mike James Ferrar Robinson [Opens in a new window]
Mike James Ferrar Robinson*
Affiliation:
Psychology Department and Neuroscience & Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459. [email protected]://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/mjrobinson/profile.html
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Abstract

Predictions made by the “incentive hope” hypothesis account for overconsumption in unpredictable food environments. However, when applied to uncertain gambling situations, there are several areas where this theory falls short. Most notably, it has trouble explaining why, in slot machine gambling, players are motivated by extended play to spend time trying to resolve uncertainty, rather than hoarding monetary gains.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 42 , 2019 , e50
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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