Comments on: Neuroscience of gambling http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 21:13:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: fltndboat http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418316 fltndboat Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418316 # 9 . There is no such thing as an average person . The word average may work for a Chicken Rancher . Among us proto- humans everyone is unique and alive. If you ain't looking to have fun saving our drained Planet, think about pod-ding in . Become an implant and trust the future you too scared to look at. # 9 . There is no such thing as an average person . The word average may work for a Chicken Rancher . Among us proto- humans everyone is unique and alive. If you ain’t looking to have fun saving our drained Planet, think about pod-ding in . Become an implant and trust the future you too scared to look at.

]]> By: apoxia http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418864 apoxia Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418864 Sure, you can look at an fMRI during task performance and show some activation in the reward centre, but psychologists have known for years that intermittant reinforcment is the driving force of all types of gambling, especially slot machines. I bet there are some evil psychologists designing those machines too. So much MRI research now finds things we have known for decades. It just confirms, surprise surprise, that these things happen in the brain. Sure, you can look at an fMRI during task performance and show some activation in the reward centre, but psychologists have known for years that intermittant reinforcment is the driving force of all types of gambling, especially slot machines. I bet there are some evil psychologists designing those machines too. So much MRI research now finds things we have known for decades. It just confirms, surprise surprise, that these things happen in the brain.

]]> By: teufelsdroch http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418138 teufelsdroch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418138 Interesting science, but kinda old. It hit both Nature (http://tinyurl.com/cdsd8z) and Science (http://tinyurl.com/clo8tu) back in 2003. Interesting science, but kinda old. It hit both Nature (http://tinyurl.com/cdsd8z) and Science (http://tinyurl.com/clo8tu) back in 2003.

]]> By: Cory Doctorow http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418141 Cory Doctorow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418141 Lucky this isn't a news site, then. Lucky this isn’t a news site, then.

]]> By: teufelsdroch http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418653 teufelsdroch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418653 @firefly The research is about a physiological cause for learned behaviors: pleasure, or anticipated pleasure, releases dopamine. It's the rosetta stone for behaviorism. See http://seedmagazine.com/news/2008/08/a_new_state_of_mind.php So yeah, probably silly. @firefly

The research is about a physiological cause for learned behaviors: pleasure, or anticipated pleasure, releases dopamine. It’s the rosetta stone for behaviorism. See

http://seedmagazine.com/news/2008/08/a_new_state_of_mind.php

So yeah, probably silly.

]]> By: Skep http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418404 Skep Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418404 <blockquote>Using MRI, he studied brain activity in people gambling, looking particularly at "near misses" in which a loss seems close to a win. He found that the brain activated the same reward system that is activated in a real win, despite the fact that people report that these near misses are unpleasant. </blockquote> The gambling industry knows full well about near misses. Video slot machines and poker machines,first determine by random number what whether a person has won. If a person hasn't won the then are programed to create what appear to be near misses, triggering the perceived reward activity noted above. Slot machines are very highly developed. They are skinner boxes for people.

Using MRI, he studied brain activity in people gambling, looking particularly at “near misses” in which a loss seems close to a win. He found that the brain activated the same reward system that is activated in a real win, despite the fact that people report that these near misses are unpleasant.

The gambling industry knows full well about near misses. Video slot machines and poker machines,first determine by random number what whether a person has won. If a person hasn’t won the then are programed to create what appear to be near misses, triggering the perceived reward activity noted above.

Slot machines are very highly developed. They are skinner boxes for people.

]]> By: Takuan http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418150 Takuan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418150 this matches what I've always observed on people's faces at the gambling table. Wonder what the brain of a resolute non-gambler looks like? this matches what I’ve always observed on people’s faces at the gambling table. Wonder what the brain of a resolute non-gambler looks like?

]]> By: noahpoah http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418154 noahpoah Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418154 Our brains <i>make</i> us gamble? Our <i>brains</i> make us gamble? Our brains make us gamble?

Our brains make us gamble?

]]> By: natmod http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-434314 natmod Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-434314 The neuroscience of gambling seems to be the same as addictions to drugs or alcohol. It's an impulse disorder. People who have it can't or won't stop, even if not stopping causes them pain. I've just finished making a film about my father who is a compulsive gambler and getting to the roots of why he gambles and will not stop has been a mystifying experience. At times he even gambled with his life. Other times he's a little more in control. The neuroscience of gambling seems to be the same as addictions to drugs or alcohol. It’s an impulse disorder. People who have it can’t or won’t stop, even if not stopping causes them pain. I’ve just finished making a film about my father who is a compulsive gambler and getting to the roots of why he gambles and will not stop has been a mystifying experience. At times he even gambled with his life. Other times he’s a little more in control.

]]> By: Teller http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418194 Teller Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418194 Unscientifically: I'm a craps player and to me the peak buzz is always the last moment before the dice stop rolling. Unscientifically: I’m a craps player and to me the peak buzz is always the last moment before the dice stop rolling.

]]> By: Clayton Hove http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418203 Clayton Hove Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418203 I think we use the same parts of our brain for dating. I think we use the same parts of our brain for dating.

]]> By: airshowfan http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-419488 airshowfan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-419488 You learn this when studying the psychology of video-games. People keep playing in part because their decision-making is under the different emotional impacts of "near-misses" versus "not even close" (i.e. the feeling of "If only I'd done something slightly differently, I would have succeeded" makes you feel anxious and want to take any opportunity to try again... and again, and again). People also keep playing in part because of "unpredictable reinforcement"; Even if you do the right thing, sometimes you win and sometimes you don't, and each time you don't get a reward, you think you're closer to a win (which is a fallacy if the events are non-dependent as in a slot machine, but not so much when it comes to how close you are to a save point in a game). Loftus and Loftus have a wonderful paper about this, which I have not been able to find online for free. It's back from the time of Pac Man and Space Invaders, but describes exactly my motivations to keep at Metal Gear Solid deep into the night. You learn this when studying the psychology of video-games. People keep playing in part because their decision-making is under the different emotional impacts of “near-misses” versus “not even close” (i.e. the feeling of “If only I’d done something slightly differently, I would have succeeded” makes you feel anxious and want to take any opportunity to try again… and again, and again). People also keep playing in part because of “unpredictable reinforcement”; Even if you do the right thing, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t, and each time you don’t get a reward, you think you’re closer to a win (which is a fallacy if the events are non-dependent as in a slot machine, but not so much when it comes to how close you are to a save point in a game). Loftus and Loftus have a wonderful paper about this, which I have not been able to find online for free. It’s back from the time of Pac Man and Space Invaders, but describes exactly my motivations to keep at Metal Gear Solid deep into the night.

]]> By: fltndboat http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418291 fltndboat Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418291 #6 We do indeed, This puts Biologics into the payoff. Back before people gave up on Brain Maintenance we had the mystery of the payoff for . " Would of, Could of. And should Of" Now we know. #6 We do indeed, This puts Biologics into the payoff. Back before people gave up on Brain Maintenance we had the mystery of the payoff for . ” Would of, Could of. And should Of” Now we know.

]]> By: fltndboat http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418293 fltndboat Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418293 One response I have used is the story of the time I had a chance to bed down my teenage heart throb , Kim Novac. She was crawling into bed naked in Bel Air and I was in Ohio with an erection. Close miss. One response I have used is the story of the time I had a chance to bed down my teenage heart throb , Kim Novac. She was crawling into bed naked in Bel Air and I was in Ohio with an erection. Close miss.

]]> By: firefly the great http://boingboing.net/2009/02/21/neuroscience-of-gamb.html#comment-418296 firefly the great Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418296 Yeah I think gambling is really a form of psychosis -- generally a mild form -- but to say that studying gamblers tells us something about how the average person behaves is really rather silly. Yeah I think gambling is really a form of psychosis — generally a mild form — but to say that studying gamblers tells us something about how the average person behaves is really rather silly.

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