Human design features

Question 1

Executive functions

Answer 1

Response inhibition (stop-signal/stroop). Impaired in GD, also predictive of relapse.

Decision making: Iowa GT; took more risk, suboptimal

Delay discounting: impaired, quick/steep delay

Cognitive flexibility: reduced in gamblers (card sorting taks)

Question 2

Cognitive distortions

Answer 2

Gambler’s fallacy; run of same outcome increases chance of the other outcome.
At-risk gablers prefer slots with clumpy outcome

Illusion of control: irrelevant features give sense of control/skill even though its determined by chance. Eg lottery number, throwing dice etc.

Question 3

Cue reactivity

Answer 3

GD have heightened cue reactivity to cues associated with gambling (increased brain activity)

Question 4

Reward anticipation in GD

Answer 4

General reward anticipation (not perse gambling) shows that gamblers have decreased activity in ventral striatum/NAcc.

Suggest that blunted reward processing is risk factor for addiction (reward deficiency syndrome). Less excited from things than people who are not.

Question 5

Reward process during gambling

Answer 5

Less activity in gambling task. winning money is not what causes higher activity

Near miss vs full-miss shows difference in response. In gamblers; more sensitive.

Anticipation: Increased activity in striatum of gamblers.