Psychology Design and Economics of Slot Machines

Via Boing Boing, we came across this online course unit from Stanford design professor Michael Shanks. It is always interesting to see how casinos and casino-makers are employing clever manipulations to trick us into playing their games.

From the Unit titled The Psychology of the Slot Machine:

Slot machines take advantage of basic human psychology to maximize their appeal. In contrast to most other casino games such as blackjack or poker, playing a slot machine requires no skill, intellect, or decision-making ability. This non-threatening aspect is critical to the appeal of slot machines versus other casino games. In addition, there is no downtime while playing slots—the “action” is nonstop, and is designed to engross the player completely. Of course, the fundamental appeal of the slot machine, as in any other casino game, is the opportunity of winning and making a lot of money. However, slot machines are unique in that literally every coin a player puts in has a possibility of eliciting a huge payout, albeit a statistically negligible one. This aspect of slot machines provides initial and continued stimulus to the player; studies have shown that playing a slot machine activates dopaminergic neural pathways traditionally associated with pleasure or risk-taking. Beyond that, however, slot machines keep players engrossed through a psychological phenomenon known as operant conditioning.

Read the Whole Unit at the Professor's Website

July 23, 2007

Psychology Design and Economics of Slot Machines