Hosted by the School of Psychological Science
Abstract: Most gamblers lose money, meaning that a behavioral dependence to gambling can cause harm. However, some professional gamblers win consistently, but little is known about their psychology and how they differ from disordered gamblers. The present research analyzes interviews with 19 elite online professional poker players, by examining factors from the disordered gambling and decision-making literatures. Like disordered gamblers, participants displayed aspects of a behavioral dependence to gambling, but contrastingly did not generally experience harm. Other contrasts included their rational approach to statistical thinking, a general self-reported tendency to not be impulsive, and their social connections with other experts. Parallels with the decision-making literature included their assessment of decision quality based on “expected value” rather than realized outcomes, their reluctance to take risks outside of their “circle of competence,” and their “active open-minded” thinking style. This study may contribute to an improved understanding of gambling psychology.
Bio: Dr Philip Newall is a Lecturer at the University of Bristol’s School of Psychological Science. Previously, Philip completed a PhD at the University of Stirling in 2016, before going on to postdoctoral research fellowships at Technical University Munich, the University of Warwick, and Central Queensland University’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory. Philip is a member of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling – an advisory group of the Gambling Commission in Great Britain, and was a special advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee Enquiry on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry. Philip’s research applies concepts and research methods from behavioural science to gambling.