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Brains Of Gambling Addicts Cannot Recognize Risks Properly, Study Finds


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2017 Apr 16, 1:39pm   1,525 views  4 comments

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For anyone who has been to a casino, it may be a familiar feeling: you have a bad streak going, you get dealt another bad hand, and the proverbial last straw makes you fold and leave. But then, you are probably not a gambling addict, who when faced with the same situation, would probably raise the bet.

And now, research by scientists in Japan tries to answer why gambling addicts behave the way they do. To come up with an answer, they used functional MRI (fMRI) to scan the brains of addicts. Previous fMRI studies have shown addicts to “have altered activity in brain regions related to risk and reward, making them prone to prefer risky choices. New fMRI research conducted at Kyoto University has now found another explanation for the unhealthy bent: addicts have a poor ability to assess and adapt to high risk situations,” according to a statement from Kyoto University, one of the two universities whose researchers were involved in the study.

Titled “Deficit of state-dependent risk attitude modulation in gambling disorder,” the open-access study was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry earlier in April.

In other words, people addicted to gambling are unable to assess the risk in any given situation, and therefore do not alter their behavior to best suit the circumstances. Through a series of gambling tasks that gave participants certain amounts of credits, the study found addicts chose a risky strategy even when it was not the best choice.

More: http://www.ibtimes.com/brains-gambling-addicts-cannot-recognize-risks-properly-study-finds-2526010

Study Mentioned at End of Article: http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v7/n4/full/tp201755a.html

#Addiction #Gambling

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1   Dan8267   2017 Apr 16, 2:26pm  

anonymous says

Brains Of Gambling Addicts Cannot Recognize Risks Properly, Study Finds

No surprise there, but I'll add that casinos make a science of how to manipulate people into losing more money and staying longer. From the lack of clocks to tracking how much people lose before leaving and then offering them free chips or other perks when they are about to go, casinos do everything to manipulate the mentally weak out of their money. They are almost as bad as republicans.

2   Peter P   2017 Apr 16, 4:50pm  

I thought gamblers with OPM cannot recognize risks property.

3   marcus   2017 Apr 16, 5:17pm  

PCGyver says

Yes interesting does this apply to the Dr who was dragged off the plane?

Yes, he gambled making a risky choice and he is going to be very well rewarded for that choice. Sometimes gambling and making the riskier choice works out.

4   Strategist   2017 Apr 16, 6:34pm  

anonymous says

Brains Of Gambling Addicts Cannot Recognize Risks Properly, Study Find

Thanks for posting. It makes a lot offense.
Anyone who thinks they can beat the odds because they feel lucky cannot be very smart.
Casino gambling is for those who can successfully cheat or count cards, or for those willing to pay for some entertainment.

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