Thomas Gielow | 2026 I.S. Symposium
狈补尘别:听Thomas Gielow
罢颈迟濒别:听Cognitive and Motivational Processes in Gaming Machine Use
惭补箩辞谤:听Psychology
惭颈苍辞谤:听Philosophy
础诲惫颈蝉辞谤:听Amber Garcia
The present study examined whether near-miss frequency and self-esteem influence gambling persistence in a simulated slot machine task. Near-miss outcomes are results that appear close to a win but still end in a loss, and they have been shown to increase motivation to keep playing. Participants completed a computerized task in which near-miss frequency was manipulated at 0 percent, 15 percent, or 30 percent. Before the task, participants received false performance feedback designed to temporarily increase or decrease self-esteem. Gambling persistence was measured by the number of spins during a phase where no wins were possible, while total credits remaining served as a measure of overall spending.
This project was driven by an interest in how people can be influenced by outcomes that are objectively losses but feel like they are almost wins, and why that can keep people playing. I was especially interested in whether self-esteem would affect how strongly people respond to near-misses.
Results showed that near-miss frequency significantly influenced persistence and credit loss. Participants in the 30 percent condition continued playing the longest and ended with the fewest credits. In contrast, self-esteem had no significant effect, and there was no interaction between self-esteem and near-miss frequency. These findings suggest that structural features of gambling may have a strong and consistent impact on behavior, even when personal factors like self-esteem do not. Future research could examine more stable traits, such as impulsivity or sensitivity to rewards, as well as base and state self-esteem differences. To allow for a better understanding of why some individuals are more likely to continue gambling.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
