The role of stake size in loss of control in within-session gambling impact of stake size on udreflection impulsivity, response inhibition and arousal when gambling on a simulated virtual roulette gambling task: implications for gambling related harm

摘要

A recent review of the impact of stake size on gambling behaviour revealed that there is insufficient robust evidence to make even the most conservative conclusions regarding size of stake, and hence identified an important gap in gambling knowledge. The current report is an exploration of the potential for structural characteristics of gambling, namely size of stake, to affect an individual’s ability to make controlled responsible decisions within the short-term. We argue that gambling-related harm, such as spending more money or time gambling than one can afford, may be a result of deterioration of an individual ‘executive control’, specifically one’s capacity to resist urges through Response Inhibition and one’s tendency to make poor, uninformed decisions (via elevated Reflection Impulsivity). Furthermore, it is argued that stake size can influence one’s physiological response to gambling outcomes, which may also have negative implications for responsible gambling. The causal effect of stake size on a gambler’s Response Inhibition, Reflection Impulsivity and Arousal Response in the short-term has been tested via a repeated-measures experiment within a laboratory setting using a simplified virtual roulette simulator. This study finds initial support for a new stake-related risk factor for gambling-related harm, other than rate of loss, as it was demonstrated that gambling at higher stakes impairs quality of decision-making, which in turn may reduce self-control when gambling.