17.1.6

Griffiths on Cognitive Bias

Test yourself

Griffiths (1994): Cognitive Biases Using Fruit Machines

Griffiths recorded the verbalisations of 30 gamblers and 30 non-gamblers as they played on fruit machines. He concluded that gamblers were more likely to have cognitive biases, specifically the illusion of control.

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Method

  • The field study compared 30 gamblers to 30 people who played fruit machines occasionally.
  • Each of the players was given £3, the equivalent of 30 gambles on a fruit machine.
  • The players were told to think aloud during their play and to get to 60 gambles.
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Method cont.

  • If they reached 60, they had a choice to keep playing or take any winnings they had received.
  • Griffiths recorded:
    • The number of gambles.
    • The players’ verbalisations of their thoughts.
    • The number of wins.
    • The outcome of each specific gamble.
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Results

  • Initially, some of the regular gamblers refused to play on the specific fruit machine the researchers assigned them.
  • Regular gamblers were more likely than the occasional players to play to 60 gambles.
  • The regular gamblers also were more likely to play until they had lost all of their money.
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Results cont.

  • The regular gamblers had more irrational verbalisations, such as talking to the machine.
    • E.g. This machine doesn't like me.
  • They also referred to lost gambles as ‘near misses’ or ‘near wins’.
  • Finally, in a post-gamble interview, the gamblers believed themselves to be more skilful than the occasional players.

Griffiths (1994): Cognitive Biases Using Fruit Machines

Griffiths recorded the verbalisations of 30 gamblers and 30 non-gamblers as they played on fruit machines. He concluded that gamblers were more likely to have cognitive biases, specifically illusion of control.

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Conclusions

  • Gamblers are more likely to demonstrate cognitive distortions. - Specifically, they are likely to show illusion of control, where they believe themselves to be more skilful than the occasional gamblers.
    • Note that the fruit machines are a game of chance where there is no skill involved.
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Conclusions cont.

  • Additionally, they believed if they were familiar with the specific machine, they were more likely to win. This is why some refused to play on their designated machine at first.
  • Finally, they also showed distorted views of reality by personifying and talking to the machines.
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Evaluation

  • This was a field study, which means it was done on location in a casino. So this shows high ecological validity.
  • But in field studies, it is difficult to control for extraneous variables.
    • An example of an extraneous variable could have been the effect of other people/gamblers nearby.
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Generalisability

  • The sample was also not representative of the whole population because only one female gambler participated, so the results should not be generalised to the entire population.
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Validity

  • Lastly, the study was trying to record cognitive distortions, which take place internally.
  • But the participants were asked to verbalise them, which may have altered their thinking.
  • So the study’s results may be invalid.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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