Lord777
Professional
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Why does excess dopamine in multiple neurons make gambling so attractive? The answer to this question shows a serious defect in our brain, which is skillfully exploited by casino owners. The slot machines are programmed to return only about 90% of the money wagered over long periods of time.
Now let's think about the slot machine in terms of our dopamine neurons. The task of these cells is to predict future events. They always want to know what exactly precedes winning. When we play the machine, our neurons try to decipher the patterns embedded in it. They want to understand the game, decode the logic of luck, find circumstances that predict a big win.
But that's the catch: dopamine neurons rejoice at predicted rewards, but they rejoice even more at unexpected rewards. The joy of these unplanned prizes is usually three to four times stronger than the predictable rewards. The purpose of the dopamine spike is to make the brain pay attention to new and possibly important stimuli.
In most cases, the brain eventually begins to understand which events predicted the reward, and dopamine neurons stop releasing that amount of the neurotransmitter. However, the danger of slot machines is that they are unpredictable. Since they use random number generators, no patterns or algorithms can be found in them. Therefore, dopamine neurons continue to be amazed at the rewards. As a result, we are glued to the slot machine, shackled by the inconsistency of its winning system.
Jonah Lehrer
"How we make decisions"
Now let's think about the slot machine in terms of our dopamine neurons. The task of these cells is to predict future events. They always want to know what exactly precedes winning. When we play the machine, our neurons try to decipher the patterns embedded in it. They want to understand the game, decode the logic of luck, find circumstances that predict a big win.
But that's the catch: dopamine neurons rejoice at predicted rewards, but they rejoice even more at unexpected rewards. The joy of these unplanned prizes is usually three to four times stronger than the predictable rewards. The purpose of the dopamine spike is to make the brain pay attention to new and possibly important stimuli.
In most cases, the brain eventually begins to understand which events predicted the reward, and dopamine neurons stop releasing that amount of the neurotransmitter. However, the danger of slot machines is that they are unpredictable. Since they use random number generators, no patterns or algorithms can be found in them. Therefore, dopamine neurons continue to be amazed at the rewards. As a result, we are glued to the slot machine, shackled by the inconsistency of its winning system.
Jonah Lehrer
"How we make decisions"
