title: Never smile at a crocodile: betting on electronic gaming machines is intensified by reptile-induced arousal.
abstract: Tourists at the Koorana Saltwater Crocodile Farm in Coowonga, Queensland, Australia, including 62 males and 41 females, aged 18-66 (M = 34.2, SD = 13.3), were randomly assigned to play a laptop-simulated Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) either: (1) prior to entry, or (2) after having held a 1-m saltwater-crocodile. Gambling behavior; including bet-size, speed of betting, final payouts and trials played on the EGM; was investigated with respect to participants' assigned arousal condition, problem-gambling status, and affective state. At-risk gamblers with few self-reported negative emotions placed higher average bets at the EGM after having held the crocodile when compared to the control. In contrast, at-risk gamblers with many self-reported negative emotions placed lower average bets at the EGM after having held the crocodile. The results suggest that high arousal can intensify gambling in at-risk players, but only if this feeling state is not perceived as a negative emotion.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Social Science Research, CQUniversity, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670, Australia. m.rockloff@cqu.edu.au
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rockloff
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011793:Queensland; D012104:Reptiles; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult