Langer's illusion of control and the cognitive model of disordered gambling

Skill-Based Electronic Gaming Machines: Features that Mimic Video Gaming, Features that could Contribute to Harm, and Their Potential Attraction to Different Groups

New gambling products have been developed over time as technology permits. For example, early mechanical slot machines were later replaced by electronic gaming machines (EGMs), which enabled a faster speed of play and more immersive experience. EGMs have in the decades since their invention become one of the main drivers of gambling expenditure worldwide and are one of the gambling products most strongly associated with harm. This literature review considers research relevant to a new subcategory of EGM, 'skill-based' EGMs, termed 'SGMs' here. SGMs can be highly varied in content, with some representing a minimal departure from EGMs, where the typical bonus round is replaced by some skill-based activity, such as a simple video game, which could increase the machine's appeal. Other SGMs feature more radical departures from conventional EGMs, such as multiplayer games using intellectual property from popular TV shows or video games. These skill-based elements could tap into common gambling fallacies such as the illusion of control, and therefore facilitate harmful engagement. SGMs could also be less harmful than current EGMs, if skill-based elements break the dissociative states associated with EGM gambling. The intellectual property used in SGMs may increase their appeal among people who generally do not gamble, and the skill-based elements could increase their interest among gamblers who predominately prefer skill-based gambling formats such as sports betting. The novelty and varied content of SGMs present many open questions, which research should aim to address in future.

Addiction: A treatise from 1561

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In 1561, physician and philosopher Pascasius Justus Turq published a monograph on the description and treatment of pathological gambling. When the monograph came to the attention of the authors in 2006, there existed no known translation of it in any modern language. In 2014, it was translated and published in French. This paper analyses the monograph's key content elements and its place in the history of the concept of addiction.

METHODS

A contextual analysis of the late Italian Renaissance, followed by key excerpts from the text and commentaries on the meaning and significance of the monograph.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Pascasius Justus Turq's 1561 monograph on pathological gambling outlines a disease view of gambling, identifies cognitive processes and biological vulnerabilities as aetiological factors, avoids religious or moral judgements and recommends cognitive treatment to change the beliefs and expectancies of gamblers. This study shows that a 'disease formulation' of addiction was enunciated as early as the 16th century, and its contemporary resonance suggests that current clinical features of addictive disorders have existed for centuries.

Thinking without knowing: Psychological and behavioral consequences of unjustified confidence regarding blackjack strategy

In two studies, we explored potential psychological and behavioral consequences of unjustified confidence, including outcome expectations, anxiety, risk taking, and information search and consideration. Study 1 employed an individual-differences approach to examine how participants' confidence regarding their knowledge of blackjack strategy, controlling for their actual knowledge, correlated with these hypothesized psychological and behavioral variables. Study 2 manipulated participants' confidence levels to examine these effects. Across the two studies, greater unjustified confidence led to larger bets (a measure of risk taking) and reduced use of hints designed to improve play (information search and consideration). Unjustified confidence also increased participants' outcome expectations and lowered anxiety levels. Implications of these findings, such as for educational interventions, are discussed.