While casinos and betting may bring many thoughts and images to the mind, whenever gambling is involved, almost all of us picture the slot machine in some capacity. The flashing lights and the whirling of the machines and the excitement while waiting for the result make one of the most, if not the most, played games in many on-ground and online casinos around the globe. However, what is the real reason for the obsession with slot machines? How is it possible to keep the player so interested for several hours in a row, while the situation is unambiguous – the odds are against the player?
To solve this problem, we can take a look in psychology or more specifically reinforcement schedules in operant conditioning. Slot machine gambling is by nature a variable ratio reinforcement schedule, which is why people keep dumping coins in the machine even when they lose most of the time.
In this article, we will cover reinforcement schedules in depth; we will provide a detailed account of how operant conditioning explains the mechanics subserving gambling on a slot machine, and we will elaborate why variable ratio schedules are so powerful and efficient in controlling behavior. By the time you finish reading this article, you will grasp the psychological reasons for the compulsive tendencies toward gambling more clearly and perhaps in a more disturbing, slotted outlook.
What is Operant Conditioning?
Yet, What lay beneath the surface of these schedules is the concept of operant conditioning, which is its wider constituency. This method of behavioral conditioning was developed by the American psychologist B.F. Skinner in the mid 20th century. It is basically a method of learning through one’s interaction with the environment by the use of rewards and punishments for the behaviors exhibited by the individual. A better way to explain it is that its concern is with the extent to which the outcome of a particular behavior modifies the probability of that behavior occurring in the future.
Operant conditioning has two types of consequences:
Reinforcement: Any factors that make it more likely for a behavior to be performed again. Reinforcement may be positive (something favorable is added) or negative (something unfavorable is taken away).
Punishment: The preventive measures are those that reduce the number of occurrences of a behavior. Furthermore, punishment may be positive (something unpleasant is added) or negative (something positive is taken away).
For example, if you insert a coin in a vending machine and it dispenses a product, you will be prone to putting in the coin again. The product serves as a positive reinforcer. In the same manner, if you place your hand on the hot in an oven and get burned you would avoid placing your hand on an oven again-this is an example of punishment.
Reinforcement Schedules: The Key to Sustained Behavior
Another crucial aspect recognized by Skinner is, the speed of acquiring and retaining any specific behavior depends upon how and when reinforcement is provided. This leads us to what are called reinforcement schedules, which are rules about when and how often reinforcement is given.
Reinforcement schedules are further classified into two large groups:
Continuous Reinforcement: The given behavior is reinforced every time it occurs. For example, you always switch the light on, and the light comes on every time you do, that is continuous reinforcement.
Partial (or Intermittent) Reinforcement: The set behavior is reinforced only for some of the time. Partial reinforcement can be further subdivided into various other types of schedules depending on the method and timing of reinforcement delivery.
Partial reinforcement is particularly intriguing because it usually results in behaviors that show a greater degree of resistance to extinction. This means that behaviors that have been reinforced on an intermittent schedule are usually more difficult to eliminate than those that have been reinforced on a continuous basis. This is the context under which one starts playing the online slots.
Types of Partial Reinforcement Schedules
There are four primary forms of partial reinforcement schedules:
Fixed Ratio: As the name suggests, a reinforcer is given after a certain fixed number of responses is made. So, getting a reward after every 10th action is a fixed ratio schedule. For instance, A real situation that one can find is a loyalty card in which one buys for ten coffee tokens and gets one free.
Variable Ratio: In this schedule, a reinforcer is given after an unpredictable number of responses. For example, after performing the 5th task, one might be rewarded, after the 10th one, again, and the 3rd one after doing several tasks; there is no defined order. The type of schedule seen in the gambling machines known as slot machines.
Fixed Interval: A reinforcer is provided after a specific time frame has elapsed irrespective of the responses within the time frame. For example payment every two weeks can be considered under a fixed interval schedule.
Variable Interval: Reinforcement is provided after the passage of different lengths of time. For example, fishing may be viewed as a variable interval because one is not sure of the waiting time before one catches a fish yet it is guaranteed that a fish will come.
Slot Machines and the Variable Ratio Reinforcement Schedule
What role do slot machines play in this narrative? As previously pointed out, playing slot machines is an activity that adheres to a variable ratio reinforcement schedule. This means that after a certain number of spins or presses of a button, a player is rewarded but it is impossible to tell as to when; it is arbitrary. What matters here is the fact that it is not predictable: players will always be asking themselves when it shall be their turn to issue a demand, and how much will it cost them in order to keep the game going.
Variable: Losses are reinforced after an indefinite number of tries (like winning money). A player may lose and lose and thanks to the machine depending on how luck resolves at the end, the player may get something back rather quickly after several attempts.
Ratio: Reinforcement is dependent on response rates (in this case, yanking the lever). The player has to interact with the machine in order to activate the chances of getting some reward.
This type of schedule creates an incredibly powerful learning environment because the anticipation of the next win keeps players hooked. Even after a string of losses, the possibility of winning on the next spin makes it difficult for players to walk away.
Why Are Variable Ratio Schedules So Effective?
For several reasons, variable ratio reinforcement schedules are very effective in the maintenance of behavior:
Engagement Through Unpredictability: In this case the activity may disengage the player as they are always waiting for the next reward which may or may not come. For instance, while playing, one might think that this particular spin is the one which wins them a lot of money. This is similar to how people might spend money on lottery tickets even if it is known that the chances of winning are very slim, because “somebody has to win it” and that “somebody” can be them.
Extinction Is Difficult: In operant conditioning, extinction Is looking at a behavioral response becoming reduced because of no reinforcement of that behavior. Behaviors learned through variable ratio schedules, however, are extremely hard to unlearn, or die out. This is due to the fact that reinforcement (i.e. winning) can occur at any moment; thus, the individual that is participating in the game, with every more turn, continues to engage in the activity after multiple defeats thinking that the next turn will be the winning one.
The “Near Miss” Phenomenon: In fact, almost every slot machine includes images in the reels that have been almost winning patterns. Even if the player does not win since he has only two matching out of three symbols, he sees that he is close to winning which encourages him to repeat the action. This sensation of “almost winning” involves the same brain processes as winning, and keeps the users coming back for more.
People Prefer to Work for Scarcity: evidence affirms that people enjoy more rewards which are given after a certain duration as opposed to regular ones. This is more gratifying than having an uninterrupted reward schedule and even earning the reward after several efforts from the completion of the task due to the element of surprise.
Social and Cognitive Factors: Foreshadowing is also accompanied by the use of sounds, lighting effects and other surface embellishments within the slot machine.
Conclusion
Gaming the slot machine is a classic instance of a variable ratio reinforcement schedule in operant conditioning. The absorption of the players into the game is amplified by the unpredictability of the rewards and the rewarding behavior that is determined by the player’s move over a long period of time. Though enjoyable for players, this type of reinforcement is one of the reasons for the risk of addiction and problem gambling associated with slots.
In a way, grasping the psychological concepts of gambling devices and gambling practices will help people manage their gambling activities. Thus, they were less likely to engage in compulsive behavior. So, next time you sit down to a slot machine, bear this in mind: it’s not only fate or luck involved – rather it is scientific.