What evolutionary behaviors are slot machines tapping into?

Question

Why are humans so drawn to the mechanics of slot machines? Is there an evolutionary explanation for this?

Answer 1

Slot machines tap into evolutionary behaviors related to the search for resources, such as food. Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, and finding food was a random and unpredictable process. The excitement of discovering a food source after repeated searching is similar to the anticipation and unpredictability of slot machine outcomes. This behavior was crucial for survival, as it motivated our ancestors to keep searching for food despite uncertainty. Modern slot machines and similar systems in other industries exploit these ancient pathways by mimicking the reward structures that our brains are wired to respond to.

Comments

You can also make pigeons superstitious. When you give them rewards on a variable ratio reward schedule (randomly), the pigeons begin to come up with theories as to what makes the food appear. For example, on one occasion, the pigeon may spin in a circle and then press the button, and receive food on that push. The pigeon begins to believe that spinning in a circle before pushing is "lucky" and makes food more likely to appear. So the pigeon will begin spinning in a circle before pushing the button every single time.

This is exactly what gamblers do. Gamblers often have a "lucky machine" that they always use because they had previously won on that machine. They may have a "lucky sweater" that they were wearing when they got a big win.

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I love that when Joe was describing more effort for less food, it sounded EXACTLY like addict behaviour and he couldn't see it.  It's always that one more time for the big pay out

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Joe doesn’t always have a close mind but when he does it takes someone like this to open it back up. Great explanation of the bird trials

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I see his comparison with the pigeon as less of a gambling study, and more of a study that could be akin to the way wages are earned. I agree with Joe. Most people would choose a larger pile of resources more quickly for seemingly less effort, without realizing in the long run you could build more with the other option

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Slot machines play upon what we as psychologists refer to as a: Variable-ratio schedule of behavioral reinforcement. It’s fairly basic psychology and something the Casinos effectively exploited long ago. Using such a technique to train our dogs also works quite well. For example, instead of giving the dog a treat each time they perform the desired behavior, we may choose to randomly provide the treat in an unpredictable manner. The result is often a more consistent rate of responding (doing the desired behavior - fetching the ball - or pulling the slot machine handle).