The Effects of Sleep Debt on Risk Perception, Risk Attraction and Betting Behavior During a Blackjack Style Gambling Task

Abstract

Gamblers often gamble while experiencing fatigue due to sleep deprivation or cumulative sleep debt. Such fatigue has been shown to make decision makers behave more riskily. The present study aimed to test the role of two cognitive processes, risk perception and risk attraction, in this effect. Two hundred and two participants played twelve hands of a black-jack style card game while either fatigued or reasonably alert. Findings showed that both fatigued and alert participants rated higher risk bets as more risky than lower risk bets, suggesting risk perception was unaffected by fatigue. However, fatigued participants did not rate higher risk bets as less attractive than lower risk bets, and reduced the size of their wager to a lesser extent when objective risk increased. These findings are discussed in relation to the effects of fatigue on motivated tasks and the need for gamblers to be aware of the effects of fatigue.

The effects of cycle lanes, vehicle to kerb distance and vehicle type on cyclists’ attention allocation during junction negotiation

“…The research presented in the present paper draws on and extends the work of Frings et al (2012), Parkin et al (2007) and Vansteenkiste et al, (2013) that with a cycle lane it is also the case that motor traffic may pass closer to a cycle user than they would if the cycle user and the motor vehicle driver were sharing the same lane (Parkin and Meyers, 2010). No evidence has shown directly that cycle lane presence reduces the perceived risk of cycling.…”

“…It is possible that attention influences risk perception which influences behavioural choice. This model is based on a well-established assumption that risk perception guides subsequent behaviour (see Frings, 2012, for an example).…”

Dyads experience over confidence in hand‐eye coordination skills after placebo alcohol

“…It appears that not only does alcohol consumption make tasks more difficult, associated expectancies also increases dyad members' confidence in avoiding negative outcomes (or achieving positive ones). This, in turn, is likely to lead to lowered risk perception and higher risk tolerance (see Frings, ).…”

Sleepiness and cognition in young adults who gamble and use alcohol

“…This finding may contrast previous research examining a similar question. Frings ( 2012 )examined the effect of experimentally attenuated sleep duration (< 5 hours), over the course of two nights, on decision-making. Frings found that individuals who had experimentally reduced sleep duration bet significantly more on a probabilistic decision-making task compared to those whose sleep patterns were not manipulated.…”

“…Research has also shown that after 24 hours of continual wakefulness neural processing patterns while performing a gambling task significantly change in a manner that may suggest a propensity towards increased risk seeking ( Venkatraman, Chuah, Huettel & Chee, 2007 ). In addition, fatigue (measured using the Piper Fatigue Scale)appears to have a significant positive correlation with the amount of risk taken in a decision-making task (defined as amount of money bet during a gambling task)( Frings, 2012 ). Considered together, these studies suggest that prolonged and continual wakefulness, fatigue, or accumulated sleep debt may increase risky decision-making in individuals who gamble.…”