Impulsivity influences betting under stress in laboratory gambling

Abstract

Although recent research suggests that acute stress influences subsequent decision-making under ambiguity, less is known about the role of personality variables in this relationship. This study tested whether impulsivity traits and acute stress differentially influence the way in which a prior feedback is incorporated into further decisions involving ambiguity. Sixty college students (50% male; aged 18-25 years) were randomly assigned to a stress versus a non-stress condition before completing a laboratory gambling task. The results revealed that independently of the stress condition, subjects behaved as if the odds of winning increase after a single loss. Additionally, stress effects varied as a function of impulsivity traits. Individuals who lacked perseverance (i.e., had difficulty focusing on a difficult or boring task) gambled more after experiencing a loss in the stress condition than did those in the control condition. The present study supports that impulsivity traits can explain the differential effect of stress on the relationship between prior feedback and choices made under ambiguity.

Figure 1

The gambling task: (a) example of gambling decisions and (b) schematic of one trial of the task.

Figure 2

Interaction plot for lack of perseverance/negative urgency and feedback in relation to the amount of money gambled. feedback = feedback on the previous trial (win = a win in the gambling task, loss = a loss in the gambling task, no feedback = the subject chose not to gamble). Money gambled = subjects’ choices to gamble (i.e., how much money subjects gambled from €0 to €10). Confidence bands of 95% are presented in grey/red/green.

Figure 3

Interaction plot for impulsivity traits, condition and feedback in relation to the amount of money gambled. Money = gambled subjects’ choices to gamble (i.e., how much money subjects gambled from €0 to €10). Feedback = feedback on the previous trial (win = a win in the gambling task, loss = a loss in the gambling task, no feedback = the subject chose not to gamble). Confidence bands of 95% are presented in grey/red.