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International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

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01-06-2013

Practice Makes Poorer: Practice Gambling Modes and Their Effects on Real-Play in Simulated Roulette

Authors: Jana Bednarz, Paul Delfabbro, Daniel King

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 3/2013

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the role of free-play modes on gambling behaviour in computer-based roulette. Eighty participants were randomly allocated to one of four pre-exposure conditions: no exposure (control group), a loss condition, a break-even and a profit condition in which the return to player was greater than 100 %. Behavioural persistence and betting behaviour was subsequently monitored in a period of regular roulette play. The results showed that players given opportunities for free-play sessions bet significantly more per spin and wagered more credits in total than the control group, although no significant group differences in behavioural persistence were observed. The results suggest that the role of free-play modes, as they commonly appear on some Internet gaming sites, may need to be investigated further because of their potential role in altering player perceptions of the activity and their influence on risk-taking behaviour.

Although many animal studies in the Skinnerian predict greater behavioural persistence following the experience of intermittent reward vs. continuous reward, this refers more to behavioural resistance to extinction (Bradshaw et al. 1976). It is harder to differentiate non-reward following intermittent reinforcement. However, in relation to the choice of schedules, the Flora and Pavlik (1990) study shows that a different rule applies. The more reliable source of reinforcement will be chosen; a finding which is more consistent with the theory of learning advocated by Edmund Tolman based on the activation of learning arising from expectations for reinforcement.

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Title: Practice Makes Poorer: Practice Gambling Modes and Their Effects on Real-Play in Simulated Roulette
Authors: Jana Bednarz
Paul Delfabbro
Daniel King
Publication date: 01-06-2013
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-012-9422-1

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Practice Makes Poorer: Practice Gambling Modes and Their Effects on Real-Play in Simulated Roulette

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