B.f. Skinner is the father of something called operant conditioning (positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative reinforcement, and negative punishment). that we all have been cursed with during the years. It is a combination of carrot and stick when it comes to giving out rewards. There is a famous picture of a bird pecking a red dot until a light turns on and a reward is given. The more this action is repeated the more cemented the behaviour became until the bird would do nothing much more than to try and get more rewards. Now put this into a slot machine context. We want to think ourselves out of a bad or dangerous situation with a rational state of mind. But our minds are not there with us when playing. The mind is somewhere else (hijacked). The rational mind is only switched back on when the money is gone and you have to step away from that "punishment & reward giving machine"
Then as I have said many times before there is the seesaw effect to consider. The more you play and release dopamine the more the balance of the seesaw tips resulting in the opposite effect coming of it ie depression angst and feeling low. The only way of keeping a balance is by keeping the seesaw still and straight.
To balance any chemical imbalance such as dopamine you need 30 days clean to fix it.
I wonder if Skinner imagined how far his ideas would go?
Best
C
Great post. In addition to the terms you mentioned there is another term which applies to gambling: intermittent reinforcement. The makers of slot machines know about this and use it against you to your detriment. Not only that, the slot machines employ 'near misses' where you are soooo close to getting a big win you just want to keep playing and playing until you lose the lot.
Hi
Sadly I often read the percentage pay outs on machines yet I figured I might be lucky.
I knew before I started I was going to lose, why lie to myself.
The gambling establishments never hurt me I hurt myself.
The gambling establishments never lied to me, I lied to myself.
The gambling establishments never hurt me my family I did it myself.
The gambling establishments encouraged me to stay as long as possible as they knew in the long run they would have my money.
The gambling establishments were places I use to go when I was filled with fears.
I stressed myself out at work.
I stressed myself out at Christmas.
Only when I identified my fears could I do any thing about reducing them.
In recent years we both decided to have every thing done before Christmas day.
Christmas cards sent before 1st December.
Christmas presents planned well before and wrapped a week before Christmas.
Food for Christmas prepared a day before Christmas .
The first time we did these we sat down and thought we were for to relaxed it did not feel like Christmas.
We have the same fears over and over again, how sad is that.
Looking at how companies advertise, they get you to think you want some thing you do not need, or they get you to think you need some thing you do not want.
How many cup boards have things that rarely get used.
Companies are there to make money.
The decision is that for me Gambling is very unhealthy and very painful.
Do I want to cause myself pains today.
Do I want to live in fears today.
Love and peace to every one.
Dave L
AKA Dave of Beckenham UK
Great original post and terrific responses.
Great original post and terrific responses.
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