Explanations for Gambling Addiction (AQA A-Level Psychology): Flashcards

Systematic distortions in attention, memory & thinking processes

Expectancies that benefits will outweigh costs make addiction likely

Overestimating ability to influence random events (e.g., lottery)

Vividly remember wins but forget/minimize losses

Belief losing streak must end soon despite events being independent

Regular gamblers made 6x more irrational statements than occasionals

Expectations about ability to achieve desired outcomes

Low confidence in quitting leads to continued gambling, confirming it

Gamblers took longer on task with gambling words - automatic bias

Distorted thinking patterns like gambler's fallacy & near-misses