A narrow depression, perforation, or aperture, especially one for the reception of a part fitting or sliding in it. Also, a period of time or position within a schedule or sequence. (computing) A space on a disk, etc., in which a particular type of object can be stored. (aviation) The allocated time for a departure or arrival at an airport’s runway.
While most people who gamble do so as a form of harmless entertainment, a small percentage develop serious gambling problems involving mounting debt, difficulties with interpersonal relationships, and involvement in criminal activities to support their habit. The allure of slots, which are simple and elicit high levels of enjoyment, is particularly problematic for these individuals. While many studies focus on how to reduce problem gambling, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this allure and what aspects of the game may be most problematic.
To investigate this, we developed two measures of reward reactivity in the context of a slot machine. The PRP measure, which increases with the magnitude of a win, and the force measure, which increases with the number of wins, both significantly correlated with positive affect ratings and accounted for unique variance in a multiple regression framework when dark flow was included in the model. Both measures were also unrelated to the negative associations associated with slots play (e.g., problems with money, depression) and suggest that they provide a valuable window into the psychological mechanisms of slots enjoyment.