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Abstract

Current research examining gambling behaviors has tended to focus on structur-al features such as the “near miss” phenomenon. Until now this research has focused mainly on a near “win” situation and ignored what can be considered a near “loss” situation (Wohl & Enzle, 2003). The present study compared the effects of participants‟ (N=132) near win/loss situations when playing a Wheel of Fortune slot-machine program designed to manipulate near wins and near losses. Near win/loss events were presented at a rate of 15, 30, or 45 percent of the total trials during an acquisition phase. Participants experiencing near win situations at the 45% levels persisted in their gambling behaviors more than the participants in other conditions. A better understanding of the impact of the structural variables of a slot machine, such as a near win and loss events can help explain gamblers‟ continued tendencies to gamble.

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