Abstract
Previous research has found an association between gambling as a means of escape and pathological gambling. Likewise, previous laboratory research has found an association between gambling as a means of escape and participants’ gambling behavior. The present experiment had 41 participants play video poker in two sessions. Prior to one session, participants were asked to solve a series of solvable word puzzles. Prior to the other, they were asked to solve a series of unsolvable word puzzles. Consistent with previous research, results demonstrated that participants’ video-poker play was associated with their overall tendency to endorse gambling as a function of escape. However, their behavior did not vary as a function of whether the word puzzles were or were not solvable. These results may suggest that the different word puzzles used in the present procedure were similarly aversive. However, they may also suggest that gambling as an escape represents a general behavior pattern that is not necessarily sensitive to brief environmental manipulations.
Recommended Citation
Martner, Sarah G.; Montes, Kevin S.; and Weatherly, Jeffrey N.
(2012)
"Using Unsolvable Anagrams to Induce Escape: Will it Increase Gambling Behavior?,"
Analysis of Gambling Behavior: Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/agb/vol6/iss1/5
Included in
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