Psychophysiological Measures of Slot Reactivity

A slot is a narrow depression, perforation, or aperture, especially one that allows something to fit into it. In the scheduling sense, a period of time in a schedule or sequence: He was booked for the 2 pm slot.

In an online slot game, a random number generator (RNG) determines where symbols will land on the reels each time the player presses the “spin” button. The winning combination depends on whether the symbols line up with a payline. The most popular slot games offer multiple ways to win, including free spins and jackpot payouts.

Slots are a classic form of gambling, and they can be found in casinos around the world. They can be played on a variety of devices, including mobile phones, tablets, computers, and VR headsets. Some slots even allow players to try out new features before betting real money.

Unlike other psychophysiological measures that involve cumbersome electrodes and wires, these new measures of reward reactivity are completely unobtrusive, gauge how much players enjoy playing slots, and can be gleaned from simple gameplay. Moreover, they are uncorrelated with PGSI scores or depressive symptoms, suggesting that there are multiple pathways to enjoying the game.

These findings highlight the benefits of incorporating these measures into gaming studies. They provide a powerful alternative to more cumbersome psychological methods, and are particularly suitable for use in video slots that may not permit the attachment of electrodes. Further, these metrics may have more ecological validity than other psychophysiological measures, and may be easier to implement in a non-laboratory setting.