Dopey gamblers
Gambling generates the best buzz because
it's risky!
July 2, 2004
Researchers in Montreal, Canada reckon that players get a buzz
out of gambling because of the uncertainty of getting a reward.
After extensive research, Canadian scientists believe they are closer
to understanding why players gamble according to press reports last
week. They have apparently discovered that the levels of dopamine
in the human brain rises and falls most in situations such as gambling,
where there is uncertainty as to whether there will be a reward....or
not.
“Using a combination of techniques, we were actually
able to measure release of the dopamine neurotransmitter under natural
conditions using monetary reward,” said David Zald,
an assistant professor of psychology.
Dopamine has long been known to play a role in the way humans react
to food and sex, but pinning down the precise conditions that cause
its release have proved difficult. Zald says the research will lay
the foundations for a clearer understanding of exactly what takes
place in the brain during these ‘unpredictable reward situations’
and could help in discovering whether there is a chemical cause
for problems such as gambling addiction.
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