Explanations for Gambling Addiction | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Explanations for Gambling Addiction
- 29 questions
- 2 subtopics
- Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology
- Paper 3
Explanations for Gambling Addiction sits within the Addiction option for Paper 3.
It covers the learning account, built on the reinforcement schedules that gambling runs on, and the cognitive account, built on the biases in how gamblers judge chance.
Sample questions from Explanations for Gambling Addiction
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Learning theory as applied to gambling, including reference to partial and variable reinforcement
How does partial reinforcement affect the persistence of gambling?
Show the answer
Behaviour learned through partial reinforcement is more resistant to extinction, so gambling continues even through long runs of losses. -
Learning theory as applied to gambling, including reference to partial and variable reinforcement
What role do secondary reinforcers play in gambling?
Show the answer
Stimuli such as flashing lights, sounds and chips become associated with winning and acquire reinforcing properties of their own. -
Cognitive theory as applied to gambling, including reference to cognitive bias
What is a 'near miss' bias?
Show the answer
Interpreting an almost-win as evidence that success is close, which encourages continued gambling despite a loss. -
Cognitive theory as applied to gambling, including reference to cognitive bias
How might cognitive biases be measured in research on gambling?
Show the answer
Using the 'thinking aloud' method, in which gamblers verbalise their thoughts while playing, revealing irrational statements.
The 2 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Learning theory as applied to gambling, including reference to partial and variable reinforcement | Operant conditioning applied to gambling, partial and variable ratio reinforcement and why they sustain the behaviour, and the role of environmental cues. | 15 |
| Cognitive theory as applied to gambling, including reference to cognitive bias | Cognitive bias in gambling, the gambler's fallacy, the illusion of control, and the way wins and losses are recalled and explained. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.