TY - JOUR
T1 - Mixed Emotions to Near-Miss Outcomes
T2 - A Psychophysiological Study with Facial Electromyography
AU - Sharman, Steve
AU - Clark, Luke
N1 - Funding Information:
SS was funded by a graduate scholarship from the University of Cambridge. The Centre for Gambling Research at UBC is supported by an award from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the British Columbia Government.
Funding Information:
SS has no disclosures. LC is the Director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, which is supported by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the Province of BC government. LC has provided paid consultancy to Cambridge Cognition Ltd, regarding neurocognitive testing. LC has received no direct or indirect payments from the gambling industry for consultancy, travel or to speak at events.
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Near-misses occur across many forms of gambling and are rated as unpleasant while simultaneously increasing the motivation to continue playing. On slot machines, the icon position relative to the payline moderates the effects of near-misses, with near-misses before the payline increasing motivation, and near-misses after the payline being rated as aversive. Near-misses are also known to increase physiological arousal compared to full-misses, but physiological measures to date have not been able to dissociate positive and negative emotional responses. The present study measured facial electromyography at the corrugator (brow) and zygomaticus (cheek) sites, as well as electrodermal activity (EDA), following gambling outcomes on a two-reel slot machine simulation in 77 novice gamblers. Behavioral data was collected using trial-by-trial ratings of motivation and valence. Wins were rated as more pleasant and increased motivation to continue playing, compared to non-win outcomes. Wins were also accompanied by increased EDA and zygomaticus activity. Near-misses after the payline were rated as more aversive than other non-wins, and this was accompanied by increased EDA and zygomaticus activity. Near-misses before the payline increased motivation to continue playing, and were accompanied by increased EDA. Thus, both subjective and physiological responses to near-misses differ for events falling either side of the payline. The 'near-miss effect' is not a unitary phenomenon. Facial EMG has differential sensitivity to positive and negative valence and may be a useful measure for future studies of gambling behavior.
AB - Near-misses occur across many forms of gambling and are rated as unpleasant while simultaneously increasing the motivation to continue playing. On slot machines, the icon position relative to the payline moderates the effects of near-misses, with near-misses before the payline increasing motivation, and near-misses after the payline being rated as aversive. Near-misses are also known to increase physiological arousal compared to full-misses, but physiological measures to date have not been able to dissociate positive and negative emotional responses. The present study measured facial electromyography at the corrugator (brow) and zygomaticus (cheek) sites, as well as electrodermal activity (EDA), following gambling outcomes on a two-reel slot machine simulation in 77 novice gamblers. Behavioral data was collected using trial-by-trial ratings of motivation and valence. Wins were rated as more pleasant and increased motivation to continue playing, compared to non-win outcomes. Wins were also accompanied by increased EDA and zygomaticus activity. Near-misses after the payline were rated as more aversive than other non-wins, and this was accompanied by increased EDA and zygomaticus activity. Near-misses before the payline increased motivation to continue playing, and were accompanied by increased EDA. Thus, both subjective and physiological responses to near-misses differ for events falling either side of the payline. The 'near-miss effect' is not a unitary phenomenon. Facial EMG has differential sensitivity to positive and negative valence and may be a useful measure for future studies of gambling behavior.
KW - Arousal
KW - Decision-making
KW - Motivation
KW - Reward
KW - Valence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85015092689&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10899-015-9578-2
DO - 10.1007/s10899-015-9578-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 26482890
AN - SCOPUS:85015092689
SN - 1050-5350
VL - 32
SP - 823
EP - 834
JO - Journal of Gambling Studies
JF - Journal of Gambling Studies
IS - 3
ER -