Psychologists noticed that the gamblers continue to play more and more even they may be losing every time.
What happens to their intelligence?
They made experiment on a mouse.
He was placed in a maze with two exit doors. One round and one square.
If he jumps from round hole, he used to get cheese. If he jumped from square door, he used to get mild electric shock.
After few trials, mouse learned that it is beneficial to jump through round hole. So now, every time, he jumped through round hole.
Then psychologists changed buttons.
If mouse jumped from round hole, he got a electric shock. If he jumped from Square hole, he got a cheese.
Mouse formed new rule.
He always began to jump from square hole from now onward.
Then again psychologists changed rule.
Sometimes they gave shock in round hole, sometimes in square hole.
Cheese was sometimes in round hole and sometimes in square hole.
The mouse was confused.
Then he finally he decided, whatever will happen, he will always jump through round hole.
So he kept jumping from round hole, even if he was given shock every time he jumped in round hole.
This is how gambler's instinct is formed in brain. Even if he keep losing every time, he will keep playing.
Haresh Raichura
15/9/14
