title: Neural correlates of near-misses effect in gambling.
abstract: The present study investigated the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the gambling near-miss effect by measuring event-related-potentials. Using a simple gambling task, we measured behavioral response and electrophysiological activity of gambling outcomes. Self-rating results showed that when compared to full-miss outcome, near-miss outcome were rated as less pleasant, but yielded higher motivation to play. Whereas the feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitude did not reflect the motivation rating differences between near-miss and full-miss, the P300 amplitude mirrored the motivation rating differences between near-miss and full-miss, with larger amplitudes for near-miss outcomes. Dipole source analysis of the difference wave (near-miss minus full-miss) indicated that two generators of the P300, localized in the putamen and orbitofrontal cortex, might be involved in motivational evaluation and regret, respectively. Our findings indicated that the near-miss effect stems from sources: higher levels of motivation and the presence of regret, caused by counterfactual thinking.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Senqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Cody
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult