Abstract

Erroneous gambling-related beliefs (EGRBs) can be defined as beliefs that imply a failure to recognise how commercial gambling activities are designed to generate a guaranteed loss to players. In theorising about how EGRBs develop, previous reviews have proposed that EGRBs are extensions of decision-making heuristics and associated biases. We propose an alternative generative mechanism: one in which gambling games make substantial wins seem possible through problem-solving and eventual correct strategic action. EGRBs are then beliefs in the possibility of correct strategic action (illusions of control) that develop as players trial candidate strategies—strategies selected based on various broader beliefs. We further propose that EGRBs can be classified based on what is theorised in cognitive science about categories of general human beliefs about the world. For example, it has been theorised that human beliefs about supernatural forces and randomness have certain similarities across cultures, and so we propose that there exists a category of supernatural EGRBs, as well as a category of EGRBs based on broader beliefs about the nature of randomness. We review evidence for this classification scheme and discuss how it can be applied in researching and treating gambling disorder.

摘要

错误的与赌博有关的信念（EGRB）可以定义为暗示无法识别商业性赌博活动如何设计为对玩家造成保证损失的信念。在关于EGRB如何发展的理论上，先前的评论提出EGRB是决策启发法和相关偏见的扩展。我们提出了另一种生成机制：通过解决问题和最终采取正确的战略行动，使赌博游戏取得实质性胜利的可能性似乎很高。因此，EGRB相信正确的战略行动（控制的幻觉）的可能性，这种行动会随着参与者试验候选战略而发展，而战略是根据各种广泛的信念而选择的。我们进一步建议，可以基于认知科学中关于人类对世界的一般信仰类别的理论来对EGRB进行分类。例如，有理论认为，人类对超自然力和随机性的信念在不同文化之间具有某些相似性，因此我们建议存在一类超自然EGRB，并且基于对随机性的更广泛的信念而存在一类EGRB。 。我们将审查该分类方案的证据，并讨论如何将其应用于研究和治疗赌博疾病。以及基于对随机性的更广泛认识的EGRB类别。我们将审查该分类方案的证据，并讨论如何将其应用于研究和治疗赌博疾病。以及基于对随机性的更广泛认识的EGRB类别。我们将审查该分类方案的证据，并讨论如何将其应用于研究和治疗赌博疾病。