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Abstract
Individually, both near-misses and losses disguised as wins (LDWs) have been seen to exert pro-motivational effects on gambling. However, it is not clear whether both structural characteristics are effective within the same game. Participants (n = 40) played a slot machine simulation. The simulation delivered near-misses, wins and ‘full-misses’. Half the participants also received LDWs that occurred independently of the outcomes on the payline. Valence and motivation ratings were collected after each round. Results showed that the LDW group reported increased valence ratings compared to the no-LDW group. Within the LDW group, trials with LDWs also resulted in increased enjoyment compared to trials without LDWs. We distinguished near-misses falling either side of the payline. Near-misses before the payline (NMB) were rated as more motivational than near-misses after the payline (NMA), whereas NMAs were rated as more aversive than NMBs. These differences between the two near-miss types were exacerbated by LDWs. Results demonstrate LDWs increase the trial-by-trial enjoyment of non-win outcomes. The motivational and hedonic effects of near-misses differed for events either side of the payline, and these differences were exaggerated by the presence of LDWs. Thus, near-misses can retain their effectiveness in complex forms of gambling that also deliver LDWs.
Conflicts of interest
Funding sources: SS was funded by a graduate scholarship from the University of Cambridge. Funding sources had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data, or in the writing of the report.
Competing interests: The Centre for Gambling Research at UBC is supported by an award from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the British Columbia Government. LC acknowledges funding from the Medical Research Council (G1100554). MRFA has no competing interest to declare.
Constraints on publishing: There are no constraints on publishing.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Steve Sharman
Steve Sharman is a PhD student within the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. His interests include the role of within game constructs on problem and non-problem gambling behavior, and problem gambling in vulnerable populations.
Michael RF Aitken
Mike Aitken is a reader in psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. His interests include judgments and decisions concerning uncertainty, including gambling behavior.
Luke Clark
Luke Clark is the director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC. His research interests include the psychological and neural basis of cognitive distortions in gambling and gambling addiction.