Date of Award
4-19-2010
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Jeffrey N. Weatherly
Abstract
Problematic gambling behavior, left unchecked, can be a debilitating condition; however, little research from the behavior-analytic perspective has been conducted on the topic. The present study was an extension of McDougall et al. (2008). The present study consisted of an experiment that had male participants play the game Blackjack. The variables manipulated were the confederate presence and confederate style of game play. This experiment investigated each variable using a within-subjects design. Each participant (N=16) was required to complete six gambling sessions. Results showed that the confederate's actions during the leave sessions influenced the gambling behavior of the participants. In addition, participants' were sensitive to confederate wagers. The findings of this study may have indirect implications for why some people display “problem gambling.” This research should also promote research on a topic that has been largely ignored by the field of behavior analysis.
Recommended Citation
McDougall, Casey L., "The Effect Of Male Confederate Presence, Betting And Game Play On Male Participant Gambling Behavior In Blackjack" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 8065.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8065