The Cognitive Theory of Gambling Addiction (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

The role of cognitive biases in gambling addiction

• The cognitive approach sees gambling addiction as a result of maladaptive thought processes

• An individual’s mood is affected by these maladaptive thought processes, making them  believe (mistakenly) that the only way they can feel happier is to gamble

• A cognitive bias is a pattern of thinking and processing information about the world that produces distorted thoughts and beliefs 

• Cognitive biases are examples of maladaptive thought processes that result in gambling addiction

• Research has identified several relevant cognitive biases explaining gambling addiction (Wagenaar, 1988; Rickwood et al, 2010)

• Three of the most powerful cognitive biases linked to gambling are:

  • Availability bias – selective memory that leads to wins being recalled more easily than losses

  • Illusion of control – the feeling gamblers have that they can exert control over an uncertain outcome, mainly through using their skill, which they overestimate

  • Gambler’s fallacy – the belief that a series of losses must be followed by a big win, which is based on the false idea that random events balance out over time

Research which investigates the cognitive theory of gambling addiction

• Griffiths et al. (1994) conducted a field experiment in a slot-machine arcade and found that compared to non-regular gamblers, regular gamblers have a misperception of their skill as being better than it actually is and cognitive distortions about how close they come to winning, supporting the theory of cognitive biases influencing gambling behaviour

• Joukhador et al. (2003) conducted a literature review to compare the cognitive styles of 52 non-regular gamblers and 56 gamblers who were addicted and found that addicted gamblers showed more cognitive biases and irrational thinking than the non-regular gamblers

Evaluation of research investigating the cognitive theory of gambling addiction

Strengths

• The understanding of how gamblers think means that cognitive behavioural therapy could be used to treat these biases and irrational beliefs to reduce gambling addiction

• Evidence from research using self-report questionnaires, literature reviews and field experiments with observations in slot machine arcades and casinos supports the cognitive theory of gambling addiction 

Limitations

• The research into cognitive biases and gambling addiction is correlational, which means that cause-and-effect cannot be established, i.e., cognitive biases could simply be a side-effect of being an addict

• It is difficult to identify exactly which cognitive biases are in operation during gambling and also, the theory does not explain why some people become addicted to gambling while others do not

Issues & Debates 

• The cognitive approach assumes behaviour is shaped by internal mental processes (e.g., cognitive biases), but it also suggests individuals can recognise and challenge irrational thoughts

  • This contrasts with environmental determinism (e.g. learning theory) and exemplifies soft determinism—where people are influenced but not entirely controlled by cognitive factors

• The theory leans towards a nomothetic approach by identifying general patterns of thinking in gamblers (e.g., common biases)

  • However, it can be applied idiographically in therapy (e.g., CBT) by targeting an individual’s unique irrational beliefs—supporting a combined approach to understanding and treating addiction