Major Movements in Psychology

Behaviorism

How is intermittent reinforcement used in gambling?

In gambling, the behavior of betting is rewarded intermittently and unpredictably. When the gambler’s bet is not rewarded, the gambler continues to bet, expecting that another win will follow sooner or later. If the gambler had been rewarded for every bet, it would take fewer losses for the gambler to disassociate betting with winning and for the act of gambling to be extinguished. Thus casinos take advantage of an intermittent and unpredictable reinforcement schedule in order to keep gamblers gambling as long as possible.



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