Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Do Cognitive Fallacies Predict Behavior When Nonpathological Gamblers Play Slot Machines And Video Poker?, Jeffrey N. Weatherly, K. A. Flannery

Analysis of Gambling Behavior

A popular notion found in the research literature is that gambling, and gambling problems, are associated with illogical beliefs. The present study investigated whether peoples’ subscription to cognitive fallacies related to gambling would be significant predictors of their actual gambling behavior. Twenty participants completed several questionnaires designed to assess cognitive fallacies related to gambling and then had the opportunity to gamble money on video poker and a slot machine. Results showed that faulty beliefs were seldom significant predictors of actual gambling behavior. In the lone instance in which such beliefs predicted gambling, the predictive relationship was in the opposite direction …