BACKGROUND AND AIMS Immersion during slot machine gambling has been linked to disordered gambling. Current conceptualizations of immersion (namely dissociation, flow, and the machine zone) make contrasting predictions as to whether gamblers are captivated by the game per se ('zoned in') or motivated by the escape that immersion provides ('zoned out'). We examined whether selected eye movement metrics can distinguish between these predictions. DESIGN AND SETTING Pre-registered, correlational analysis in a laboratory setting. Participants gambled on a genuine slot machine for 20 minutes while wearing eye tracking glasses. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-three adult slot machine gamblers who were not high-risk problem gamblers. MEASUREMENTS We examined self-reported immersion during the gambling session and eye movements at different areas of the slot machine screen (the reels, the credit window, etc.). We further explored these variables' relationships with saccade count and amplitude. FINDINGS The ratio of dwell time on the game's credit window relative to the game's reels was positively associated with immersion (t(51) = 1.68, p = .049 one-tailed, R2 = .05). Follow-up analyses described event-related changes in these patterns following different spin outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Immersion while gambling on a slot machine appears to be associated with active scanning of the game and a focus on the game's credit window. These results are more consistent with a 'zoned in' account of immersion aligned with flow theory than a 'zoned out' account based on escape.

中文翻译：

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划入还是划出？使用移动眼动追踪研究老虎机赌博的沉浸感

背景和目的 在老虎机赌博期间的沉浸与无序赌博有关。当前的沉浸式概念（即分离、流动和机器区）对赌徒是被游戏本身所吸引（“划入”）还是被沉浸式提供的逃避所激发（“划出”）做出了截然不同的预测。我们检查了选定的眼球运动指标是否可以区分这些预测。设计和设置 在实验室环境中进行预注册的相关分析。参与者戴着眼动追踪眼镜在真正的老虎机上赌博了 20 分钟。参与者 53 名不是高风险问题赌徒的成年老虎机赌徒。测量我们检查了自我报告的在赌博期间的沉浸感和老虎机屏幕不同区域（卷轴、信用窗口等）的眼球运动。我们进一步探讨了这些变量与眼跳计数和振幅的关系。发现游戏信用窗口上的停留时间相对于游戏卷轴的比例与沉浸感呈正相关（t(51) = 1.68，p = .049 单尾，R2 = .05）。后续分析描述了在不同旋转结果后这些模式中与事件相关的变化。结论 在老虎机上赌博时的沉浸感似乎与对游戏的主动扫描和对游戏信用窗口的关注有关。这些结果与与流动理论一致的沉浸式“划入”解释比“划出”更符合