Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31868513›Full record

ArticleJournal of behavioral addictions2019

The gambler's fallacy in problem and non-problem gamblers.

Olimpia Matarazzo, Michele Carpentieri, Claudia Greco, Barbara Pizzini

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Article in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Olimpia MatarazzoDepartment of Psychology,University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta,Italy.
Michele CarpentieriDepartment of Humanities,University of Neaples Federico II, Napoli,Italy.
Claudia GrecoDepartment of Psychology,University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta,Italy.
Barbara PizziniDepartment of Psychology,University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta,Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsAlthough numerous correlational studies have shown an association between cognitive distortions and problem gambling, only a few behavioral studies have investigated this topic by comparing problem (PGs) and non-problem gamblers (N-PGs). This quasi-experiment investigated the occurrence in both groups of a widespread cognitive distortion, the gambler's fallacy (GF), using a fictitious roulette game. Moreover, it investigated whether the GF increased the bet amount and whether impulsivity and sensation seeking were associated with the GF.

methodsTwo indices of the GF were used: a cognitive index, the probability estimate of each outcome (black/red) after manipulating the final run length (the same outcome occurring four times/once), and a behavioral index, the choice of the outcome on which to bet. A total of 320 (160 PGs and 160 N-PGs) unpaid male volunteers, aged between 18 and 68, participated in this study. HYPOTHESES: Erroneous probability estimates should mediate the effect of longer runs on the alternation choice (i.e., the choice of an outcome different from the previous one) to support the occurrence of GF. The GF should increase betting. PGs should be more prone than N-PGs to GF.

resultsThe choice of the outcome depended on both cognitive (erroneous probability estimates) and affective (preference for red) factors. PGs bet more than N-PGs but they were not more prone than N-PGs to incurring GF. Although impulsivity and sensation seeking were more intense in PGs than in N-PGs, they scarcely affected GF. DISCUSSION AND

conclusionsOverall, our results corroborate the tested model of the GF that links mistaken probability estimates, choice of the outcome on which to bet, and bet amount. However, they are similar to PGs and N-PGs and fail to corroborate the hypothesis that the GF is more evident in PGs.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedDecision MakingGamblingHumansImpulsive BehaviorMaleMiddle AgedPersonalityThinkingYoung Adultbet amountgambler’s fallacyimpulsivityproblem gamblers/non-problem gamblerssensation seeking

Identifiers

PMID31868513
PMCPMC7044580

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.