What Drives Slots Arousal?
A slot is a narrow opening in a machine or container (such as a keyway in a piece of machinery or the slit for a coin in a vending machine) through which something may pass. The term is also used to refer to a position or time in a schedule: She scheduled an interview for the afternoon, but didn’t know when the slot was.
A bonus round on a slot machine, usually triggered when certain symbols appear. These rounds often differ in style and odds from the base game. They also provide a different level of auditory and visual feedback, with larger wins producing more extensive jingles and animations.
In addition, this study provides a psychophysiological measure of reward reactivity, using two new measures that are easy to administer and interpret without cumbersome electrodes or wires. These measures are correlated with each other and positively correlate with positive affect ratings. However, they are not correlated with PGSI or depression scores.
While the results suggest that arousal is a component of slots enjoyment, it may not be the only one. For example, many people play slot machines to distract themselves from painful emotional experiences. The repetitive nature of slots play, coupled with its attention-capturing rewards, allows these players to focus on the positive aspects of their lives. Thus, arousal may not be the sole mechanism that drives slot-machine enjoyment. For these reasons, future research is needed to determine what other factors contribute to the satisfaction of slot machine users.